Oasis of Memories
by MindlessCorpse
Summary: AU Van met a young girl under exceedingly strange circumstances, one being that he was a VERY hungry vampire . . . and he alone bears a wretched curse. What will happen? This is a tragic tale of, ironically, life. VH: Contains Angst! And other materials.
1. Autumn Reflections

**Disclaimer: **Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own Escaflowne or its characters.

Warning: This an AU fic but it will have some elements of the Visions of Escaflowne in it, or it may be a continuation after the ending of the series. I don't know. Well,because I liked writing it so much, I've decided to make it into a story! Yay. But updates for this may take a while . . . since I'm still working on Ancient Feuds. But no worries! Have faith, readers of mine.

**_Summary:_** This story is Van's retelling of his first encounter with Hitomi. Van is the Prince of Darkness, owing that his wings enhance his demonic abilities. Loneliness is the price he paid to become the ultimate vampire. However, Hitomi comes along to Fanelia as a girl fresh from the glittering sea side of Palas, Asturia. Their encounter is a strange one and it is a night to remember. Sounds lame, but I suck at summaries.

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**Oasis of Memories**

**Chapter 1**

**Autumn Reflections**

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_Van's cold, fiery eyes flitted across the image of his once beloved. He remembered every detail of her lovely face, hair, hands . . . In all his long dark years, she had been the steadily kindling light he had lost many hundreds of years ago. A ghost of a smile touched upon his lips as he thought of her kiss. Sadly, all he could do now was remember. Lost in his reverie, he didn't feel the timid little tug on the cuff of his black silk shirt. Van sighed and placed the picture frame on its face, hiding the smiling face of a lively green-eyed maiden._

_"Father?" prodded a shy voice._

_Van looked down into the pale face of his relatively young son. It was amazing how the genes of a vampire significantly slowed the aging process. To the eyes of any human, his son would look like a three year old toddler. But his actual age surpassed many of those in their prime-that is to say, humans. His son was 76 years old, but still terribly young for a creature of the dark._

_"What is it, Rione?"_

_Rione made a face before continuing. "Miji peed on me again."_

_Van laughed. "Where is she? Tell her to come here."_

_"Okay." He ran off to another room and brought back his siser. Miji was 74 years old._

_And Van himself? It had been so many years he had actually managed to lose count, but he was still considered relatively young compared to others that roamed the earth since the dawn of time.. "Come here, Miji."_

_Miji shot her brother a venomous look before walking slowly to Van._

_"What have you to say for yourself?"_

_Miji opened her mouth and then before anything could happen, tears flowed from her large, brilliant brown eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Father. I was . . . was playing with Merle and forgot . . ."_

_"Merle, huh. Merle!" called Van._

_When a large tiger entered the room, it slowly transformed into the shape of a tall young woman. The only properties of the feline the woman retained were the ears and tail. This she could not control. "What?" she said in an irritated voice._

_"I believe you have something to explain."_

_"Alright, alright. I persuaded her to play a little longer with me even though she told me she had to go to the bathroom. And when she fell on Rione, well, you know what happened," Merle admitted in a grumpy voice. She scowled as Miji's howls filled the silent night. "Miji, you've certainly been living long enough to know when to stop crying."_

_"I'm sorry, Merle," Miji apologized behind the mischief tainting her innocent eyes._

_"They're getting spoiled, Van," Merle remarked as she tossed her mane of hair to the side and grumpily left the room. Van knew she was going to another nap for the third time that day. She was so incredibly lazy sometimes._

_"Why did you turn Mommy's picture upside down?" Rione asked quietly._

_What was he going to tell his son? That it hurt him to look at her? Lying was inevitable. "It's upside down? I must've accidentally knocked it over when I was at the table. Here, let me put up again. There, see? You can look at Mommy again."_

_The look on Rione's face told Van that he wasn't convinced that the picture had fallen on accident. Van's hand had trembled as he stood the frame up properly. _Oh gods, why am I so weak?

_"Father, I feel icky," whined Miji._

_The stench of Miji's urine violated his sensitive nostril. Van had forgotten Miji had pissed in her pants-and on Rione too. He grabbed Miji's small hand in his left and Rione's in his right. "Come on. Let's get you two cleaned up."_

_Once he got them in the tub, they demanded a heavenly bubble bath. As Van lathered Miji's long raven black hair, Rione tapped Van's arm with a very soapy finger. "Father, will you tell us how you and Mommy met?"_

_Van flinched and looked gravely down at his son. Rione had the very eyes and hair of _her_. His round emerald eyes looked at him the way she used to and his hair was the same soft fibers as hers. Van sometimes found it hard to look at his son and not be reminded of her. _Damn, I can't even say her name in my thoughts. _Miji pounced on Van, looking eager to hear the tale as well._

_"Why? You've heard it many times before."_

_Rione's shoulders slumped. "I like hearing you talk of Mommy."_

_Miji nodded vigorously. "Me too."_

_"And it makes you smile. And makes us happy," he whispered softly, thinking that Van couldn't hear it. But he did and it saddened him that his children should notice that only this eased the pain in his heart. Were they sad, then, that they couldn't ease his pain?_

_Van pushed his pain aside and braved the task before him, as he had always done when they asked him to tell them his story. "Okay, I'll tell you."_

_"Yay!" exclaimed Miji. Van felt Miji suffered most because she had only been an infant, just a few months old, when Hitomi passed away. Van flinched at the mention of her name. _There, I said it. It's been 74 years . . . I might as well get over it. _Miji would never know how it felt like to love and be loved by Hitomi. She would never feel the burden of mortal grief on her tiny shoulders, and grew into a lively, boisterous child--much like Hitomi had been._

_"Thank you," Rione murmured gratefully. Rione had been luckier. He had been two years old and able to retain some memories of her. But it was also harder for him to get over her death. For five years, it tortured Van to see him cry for his mother. Van was tormented night and day by Rione asking where she was. Slowly over the decades, he began to accept that she wasn't coming back and became a small, quiet child._

_After their bath, Van led them to their bedroom and had them gather around him on the bed, one sibling tucked under each arm. They snuggled up against him, seeking the comfort only a mother could provide. "It was a long time ago, Rione . . . Miji. But I can still remember it as if it only happened yesterday. I was hungry and on the prowl . . . "_

It was a full moon, filling up the night sky with its enormous illuminating shape. It shown brighter than all the stars put together. A pale, winged young man was seen flying over the cool ocean searching for a host to feed on. His moonlight white wings skimmed the glittering sea of Palas, Asturia. He was so hungry he thought he was going to faint.

As he neared the city, he could hardly contain himself and his blackened heart pounded like two sticks beating on a drum. But the only thing alive about him were his eyes. They burned like fire and danced with life. His lips trembled as he smelled the rich, sweet scent of warm human blood. He felt giddy at the thought of sinking his teeth into soft, supple flesh and plump veins, sucking the sweet nectar of life. His stomach growled in protest. "Almost there."

He landed inside a dark, abandoned alley between two taverns and dispersed his wings. Then, reaching over to a bag he had stowed there for such purposes, he pulled out a deep blood red shirt and pulled it over his smooth pale chest. His mind was now bent on feeding. He stepped out of the shadows of the alley and into the bustling night life of Asturia. There were freaks all over the streets on this side of the city . . . prostitutes (both male and female), gay men, stupid gang bangers, people thinking they were born as animals, etc.

"Van!" greeted a low, pleasant voice belonging to a long, blond haired man. "What are you doing in my territory?"

"I felt like stopping by. You got a problem?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," the man stated promptly.

Van laughed and slapped him on the back. "Allen, it's good to see you."

Allen laughed as well. "The feeling's mutual."

"Where's the feeding grounds around here? I'm starving."

"Well, it depends where you want to go. This very area you're standing in holds a large amount of very willing humans."

Van looked around in utter distaste. Allen, seeing this, added, "Or would you prefer to fight for your food."

Van laughed again. "You know me well, Allen."

"Well, pass by the giant statue and you'll find a number of village idiots. You would think they'd realize we exist after hearing of numerous, unexplained bite marks on victims's necks. But the look on their faces once they see you . . . You'll never have more fun in your life."

Van raised his eyebrow. "And here I thought you were a noble man."

Allen shrugged and winked. Van left Allen locking eyes with a few vulnerable looking humans, feeling weaker with hunger. His demonic abilities allowed him to move at astonishing speeds, and he reached the other side of the city without having wasted more than fifteen minutes. Van strolled lazily across the top of a stone wall and was sent flying to the ground as something large and heavy bulldozed him. His arm instinctively flew out to grace his landing. "What in the hell."

As he looked up he saw a young girl, rather woman, peer at him over the wall with an apologetic look on her face. Her eyes brightened as she discovered that he was unscathed by the encounter with her heavy laundry basket. "I'm sorry, homeless man."

Home . . . less . . . man . . . ? Did he look like one? He gave her a look, which she seemed to take as an encouragement to continue her apology.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault that the basket was violently thrown against your weak, malnourished body! But it wasn't entirely my fault. Miller--I mean someone wouldn't let me hang the linens up and then we ended up having a tug of war and . . . and . . . that was when that someone lost their grip and the basket went out of control. I apologize again."

_Weak and malnourished is right._ That was how he felt at the moment. He saw the flush in her face and heard the pumping blood flow like a current in her veins. It was all he could do to restrain himself from assailling her and ripping the tender flesh on her neck.

The girl had climbed over and was now picking up the scattered bed sheets on the ground and stuffing them back in the basket. She smiled at him and then paused as she looked closer at him. "You're so pale, mister. Would you like to come inside and have some dinner? You'll feel better. Oh! I'm such a bad person. I forgot to introduce myself first. I'm Hitomi Kanzaki, if you're wondering."

_Talk about village idiot. She's stupider than a herd of cows._ He decided to go with her, thinking that she would be easier to overtake without too much struggle. He nodded.

She smiled sweetly at him and thrust the basket into his hands. "You don't mind, do you? I'll just climb over and you can throw it to me."

Van smirked. She didn't seem to think that there was a high chance she might miss and the basket would crash down on her like a boulder. After she made it over, he threw the basket over and heard an _oof!_ as she caught it. He heard her yell, "I got it!" And just for the hell of it, he jumped over the wall, hoping to scare the living day lights out of her. Unfortunately, she had her back turned to him. He sighed. What an effort gone to waste.

He couldn't take it any more. As soon as she turned around, Van grabbed her and brought his head down to her neck. But for some strange reason, he couldn't bring himself to bite her. When he tried, it felt like a rod of lightning had struck his brain. He tried and tried but no matter how many times he tried something was keeping him from biting her. His mind was reeling by now.

He heard her whimper at first and then she summed up her courage and kicked him in his most sensitive area. Even dead, he could still feel and never wanted to feel that again. He heard her run off screaming like a damn gorilla. (Here, Van paused wondering if it was appropriate to use such vulgar language in front of his children.)

By now, he was so desperate with hunger that as soon as he saw a cat cross his path, his hand shot out and eagerly lapped up its blood. Even though it gave him back his strength, he wasn't satisfied. Human blood tasted so much purer and it kept him full so much longer. Full of the scent of temptation. He was supposed to be able to get anything he wanted. For gods sake he was the Prince of Darkness, the one blessed and cursed. So why in the hell was he unable to bite her?

For days on end, perhaps a week--he didn't know, but for what seemed like a long stretch of time he tracked her movements. There was always that hope finding the reason why he could not feed off her, always that curiosity of why she could evade him like she did. But his efforts were rendered useless . . .

_Van looked down at Rione and Miji and found that they had fallen asleep. A sad smile made its way to his lips as he gently stroke their hair and neatly tucked the blanket around them. And he lay with them, sleeping as if nothing would ever disturb them again._

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A/N: It's been revised a little. Perhaps more changes will occur.


	2. Frisky Confrontations

**Disclaimer: **Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews you guys! Well, here comes the second chapter of the fic. It's based on Hitomi's pov. I hope you like it as much as the first chapter.

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**Chapter 2**

**Frisky Confrontations**

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_77 years ago . . ._

Hitomi begrudgingly fell into steps behind a very excited Millerna, who was dressed in the uniform of a scullery maid even though she was supposed to be hiding away from her father by doing laundry work. She had been very convincingly persuaded by the ever spontaneous Millerna into playing along with her mischievous schemes. "Tell me why again we're hiding from your father?"

Millerna swirled around, walking backwards. "Oh, Hitomi, he's making me dine with a rich, FAT man who only cares about the money he will gain once he marries me. Besides he has the ugliest wart I have ever seen. It's right on his nose like a giant star and when he rubs it, I can't imagine the repulsive wonders it'll do. I hope none of Father's bodyguards catch me. They'll drag me back. I can't, I can't allow that to happen!" She turned around again and walked briskly out into the back of the building.

Hitomi, also dressed in the same uniform, pulled her skirt lower over her thighs. "Why do maids have to wear such skimpy outfits?"

"Why do you think they get hired, Hitomi?"

That thought had never occurred to her before. She shifted the basket of damp linens to her right hip, her left having gone numb. They reached the hotel exit and went through the glass doors into the fresh, breezy night. The super bright lights outside of the hotel almost blinded her.

Millerna grabbed a bed sheet from her basket and hung it up over the line. "You know, this isn't so bad, working."

"You're insane," she grumbled. "It's such a pain in the ass to have to dry these sheets the old fashion way. The drying machinewas invented for a reason."

Millerna rolled her eyes at her as she grabbed a clip from different basket. "You're just lazy."

"That's what you think. Anyway, you're father is going to kill himself when he sees you doing work."

She gave Hitomi a wry smile. "Don't you just love him?"

Hitomi snorted. "I wonder how you ever escaped his watchful eye."

Millerna pulled another sheet from the hand-woven basket. "Let me tell you, it wasn't easy."

She chuckled. She had grown to like Millerna's mischievous, independent nature. It was Millerna who had befriended her when she first moved into the city from the country side. The city had made a huge impression on her. It bustled with life day and night and was populated with the kinds of people she never thought she would see.

Millerna stopped in the middle of snapping on a clip to the lines. "Did you hear something? Like a strong wind, but not?"

Hitomi gave her a weird look. "I didn't hear anything . . ."

"It was probably my imagination or something." She started to clip the other side of the sheet but stopped. "There it is again!"

Hitomi looked around, ears straining. The only sounds she heard were thousands of car engines and the loud buzz of hundreds of people talking all at once.

Millerna gasped and pointed to the wall. Hitomi's eyes flew to it and saw the silhouette of a person treading the top of the wall. _It's probably just some bum._ She had seen a generous number of slums cast about the city.

"I think it's one of Father's men!" Unexpectedly, Millerna seized the basket and flung it at the poor homeless. It hit him with a loud, satisfying smack and sent him over the wall. Strangely, Hitomi did not hear the sound of his body making contact with the ground.

"Millerna, why'd you do that? He was just a helpless old man."

"Ah, Hitomi, when will you ever learn? They may look helpless but you never can expect anything good from them. They'll do _horrible_ things to you once they've got you," she reprimanded lightly. Hitomi always heard Millerna saying such things about men, and thought it had something to do with her father always setting her up with wealthy men who never cared about her feelings.

Millerna smiled at her. "He wasn't old, Hitomi. Anyway, I thought he was one of the bodyguards coming to fetch me. In fact, I still think so. Come, quick, let's go."

"Wait, I just want to make sure if he's all right."

"Okay, but I'm going inside. It's colder out here than I realized."

Hitomi made to say something but Millerna had already disappeared into the brilliantly illuminated building. The glass doors slid silently closed. She looked back at the wall and hurried over to it, peering anxiously for the poor old man. Her eyes found him lying dazed on the stone floor. She heard him mutter in a low voice, "What the hell."

The basket was lying on its side, bed sheets strewn all over. The man seemed okay, but she pitied him nevertheless and called down to him, "I'm sorry, homeless man!"

He gave her a look she could not decipher at all. She wondered if he was 'touched' by the fall, and furiously worked up a storm of lies. "I'm so sorry, mister. It was my fault that the basket was violently thrown against your weak, malnourished body! But it wasn't _entirely_ my fault. Miller—"

She stopped herself in case he did recognize Millerna's name and the vast fortune behind it. Since he was the richest man in Asturia, Mr. Aston ever so foolishly loved to strut around flashing his incredibly expensive jewelry for all to see and envy with a hungry lust.

"I mean, someone wouldn't let me hang the linens up and then we ended up having a tug of war and . . . and . . . that was when that someone lost their grip and the basket went out of control. I apologize again. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

As she waited for his reply, she clambered over and gathered the bedsheets into a bundle, ferociously punching them into the basket. It was difficult, but she did it. She straightened up, a look of fierce triumph on her face.

She saw him stare at her with a strange look in his eyes. It made her feel a little nervous. Maybe he had not had a meal all day, which would explain why he looked a little pale which only made her pity him even more. "You're so pale, mister. Would you like to come inside and have some dinner? You'll feel better. Oh! I'm such a bad person. I forgot to introduce myself first. I'm Hitomi Kanzaki, if you're wondering."

The moment the last sentence left her mouth, she was filled with an absolute dread. How could she have been so incredibly, so inconceivably stupid! People here in the city were extremely unlike the people out in the suburbs. City people were far more suspicious and contemptuous, not to mention more dangerous. She had grown up in a small town where everyone met and knew each other and everyone was friendly. It was hard to forget old habits.

Upfront, the man was not as old as she had assumed. In fact, he was quite young, probably a year or two older than she herself was.

She wondered why he had not said anything. It was possible that he could have been mute. He looked on at her for a while longer, almost hungrily, and then nodded.

She smiled at him to make him feel a little better about himself and handed the basket to him. "You don't mind do you? I'll just climb over and you can throw it to me."

She did not see his smirk as she turned, pulling her skirt down once more. She made it over the wall and had barely enough time to catch the flying basket. She caught it with an exhale of breath. "I got it!"

As she headed for the glass doors, she heard him land as he made his way over the wall. She turned around and nearly dropped the basket upon finding how close he was to her. _Good Lord! _His speed was shocking. She hadn't expected him to walk so quickly. He was much taller than she had expected, or it was because she was still cowering with fright.

Suddenly he grabbed her by the arms with a strength she did not think a starving man had. It hurt. As he brought his head down, for some strange reason she could not guess, he uttered an irritated growl. His gripped on her tightened until she thought she could hear the sound of her own bones break, and repeated his attempts several times. Each time his growl grew louder and more animal like.

She was too frozen with fear to do anything. She thought she was being raped in a very peculiar way. Perhaps the young man thought he was so fortunate to stumble upon a young defenseless girl such as she, and his profound excitement got the best of him.

_Move, stupid, you don't want to end up like your mother_, a voice inside her head scolded. Finally snapping out of her daze, she clenched her jaw and swung her feet at his precious lower region with such a momentum she would not have been surprised if it had been mutilated for life. Then, she ran away from him and yelled at the top of her lungs for help.

She did not dare look back at him, afraid that he might be chasing after her. When she safely made it inside the walls of the hotel, only then did she look back. He was no longer there. In his place was a dark object/thing she could not make out. It was as if he had never been there in the first place. Panting, she wondered if it had all been some freakish daydream.

Millerna found her and came over to her, a trace of concern on her face. "Hitomi, are you okay? You're all white and—and shaking all over."

Hitomi nodded. "I'm fine. It was just cold, that's all."

"Let's get out of here. If the hotel manager sees us, or rather sees me, he'll tell my father. And I'll get into trouble. Or we both might."

Millerna led the way and she patiently followed. They abandoned their uniforms in a pile of old sheets and changed back into their old outfits. Millerna needed special assistance with her dress because Mr. Aston had felt his daughter needed to be corseted into the unfathomable figure of an hour glass. Hitomi grunted as the cords on Millerna's pale blue corset cut into her finger as she tightened it. She felt sorry for Millerna, who abruptly sucked in her breath. She made sure it was a little looser than it was supposed to be.

"Oh dear, I feel as if I have asthma," she panted as she began walking again.

Hitomi laughed inwardly. "I'm glad I don't live with your father."

They left the hotel in a hurry to get back to Millerna's home, which very much resembled an old Victorian castle, thought Mr. Aston insisted on calling it a mansion. Hitomi always thought it looked rather gloomy, even more so on dark, cloudy days. She parted with Millerna, wishing her good luck, and ran to her room in the Aston mansion. She raced through the dim hallways, feeling like she was being watched by prowling eyes that might have belonged to a pervert.

Several times she thought she saw a shadow pass across the curtained windows but when she turned her head to look, she did not see anything. A rising fear flowed through her. When she reached her room, she darted inside and locked shut the door. She cautiously peered outside a few times to make sure no one was there, especially that homeless man, and pulled close the velvet curtains.

That night when she went to bed, the feeling of being watched again arose and she pulled the blankets over her head. Her eyes must have been as wide as saucers as she strained to see in the dark. Chills ran through her body and no matter how tightly she wrapped the blanket around her, it could not abate the fears. She didn't know how she managed to sleep, but when she woke up the next morning, the feeling was gone and for some reason she knew she was safe again. For the moment. The sun broke through the thick heavy clouds.

However, her feelings of security were sadly disappointed. A horrific week went by, very much the same way as that night, except it was worse. Always at night, her skin crawled, feeling eyes follow her every footstep. She hardly slept because of that. Old fears of monsters and ghosts haunted her dreams. She did not tell anyone, afraid that they would think she had gone insane. She even thought she had, until she saw him. Or rather _it._

It was a gray evening. Clouds hung like heavy curtains over the sky, threatening to pour roaring falls down on Gaea's inhabitants. She loved this sort of weather, where she imagined the endless sea of dark gray clouds giving way to a grim fantasy.

Millerna appeared downstairs of the mansion, dressed in a thick dark navy blue gown, corseted of course. She frowned but then a smile lurked behind that frown. "Father has invited another _rich_ man to have dinner with us. I was thinking . . . Hitomi! What's happened to you? There are horrendous bags under your eyes."

"It's nothing. I haven't been able to get much sleep."

"Did you get sick? Anyway, let's go somewhere. I don't want to be here when that awful man gets here."

Hitomi shook her head. "We've gotten into enough trouble as it is."

"Oh, come on, Hitomi. I assure you this time we'll be careful."

She eyed Millerna warily, only to be grinned at. "I get to choose where we go this time."

They cautiously checked for any maids or butlers and made their way out into the open streets. The city lights had already begun to shine down on the smooth cobble streets. She deliberately chose the safest route to the heart of Asturia. Millerna followed happily behind. On their way, they passed a sleek carriage drawn by proud, large stallions. A man was seated inside. He looked out at them, a grim expression on his face. But as soon as his eyes landed on Millerna's beautiful face, they flickered and he hastily ducked his head back in.

Slightly unperturbed, they continued on our way. It was amazing how many people were awake at night. Everywhere Hitomi turned she either bumped into someone or they crashed into her. She looked behind her to see if Millerna was still following her but she was no where to be found.

"Millerna?" she called, but she received no answer. "Milllerna!"

She drifted from stall to stall of the various markets but she still couldn't find her. She heard a shrill cry or moan or something and followed it, hoping to find Millerna along the way. As she neared the area where she had heard the cry, she found the dark form of a man stooping over the body of a woman. Instantly, she felt fear and anger. Her anger won.

"Hey! Get away from her!"

The dark form snapped up, a hiss escaping his lips. The woman crawled away from him and Hitomi thought she saw a cruel smile touch upon the woman's lips under the shadow of the light. Hitomi blinked and the smile was gone. It had probably been her imagination. The woman scrambled to get away from the man and tripped as she ran out into the busy plaza.

The man now straightened his back and gazed arrogantly at Hitomi. His clothes were of very fine, rich material only an extremely wealthy person could afford. His shoulders were thrown back in a lordly way, as if to intimidate his underlings. He bent his neck to one side, stretching the muscles there, all the while his eyes remained on her. She was unable to budge or even look away. In a sense, he seemed to be hypnotizing her. His face seemed very familiar yet unfamiliar.

"Stay away from me," Hitomi rasped through her dry frightened lips.

A lopsided grin marked his pale face. "Now why would I want to do that?"

He circled her, as if she was some prey and he the predator. His breath came in quick puffs, sniffing but never touching her. He was toying with her.

Hitomi shivered. "What . . . what do you want with me?"

He threw back his head and gave a wild laugh before returning his gaze on her. His grin widened. She saw the unnaturally long, sharp canines on his upper jaw. They glistened in the dim light, slick with saliva. He eyed her, obviously amused that she noticed his teeth, and ran his tongue over them. "Interesting, isn't it?"

Hitomi immediately dropped her eyes. The man continued to torment her in his strange ways, and she trembled when he drew near. A fierce delighted fire danced in his eyes. Hitomi realized he enjoyed her suffering and a bitter resentment arose in her. "Are you going to keep doing this all night?"

The man stopped in his track and peered at her through his thick wiry hair. A strong breeze blew it back and revealed a strange mark on the side of his temple. He quickly covered it and sent a chilling glare at her. "There is no other way since you have let someone very valuable to me escape. This is the only way you can repay your debt."

"But I didn't even know who she was. I thought you were going to—"

"Rape her!" he interrupted in an amused voice. "Such a shame, one so young, so _ignorant_. I was trying to get something she stole from me. And since _you_ let her escape, _you_ are going to get it back for me."

"No way! I don't even know you."

"Oh? That's what you think. I'll come for you soon." He turned and walked away, but before exiting the alley, he threw back at her, "You know that term, 'homeless man'? I don't find it very fitting."

His words left her feeling outraged and perplexed. Who was he to order her around? He looked young but he seemed old . . . as if he possessed an ancient soul. And what was that about the 'homeless man'? As Hitomi slowly emerged into the crowded street, she realized why he had looked so familiar. He was that homeless she encountered.

She shuddered involuntarily. His personality was completely changed, totally transformed. He no longer acted the quiet impulsive bum, but a dangerous, manipulative con artist. She now feared him more than she had before. She looked around several times to make sure he wasn't stalking her. Satisfied, she continued her search for Millerna, not wanting to be alone, and found her standing at a stall that sold trinkets.

Millerna turned to her. "Where'd you go? I waited forever for you."

Hitomi didn't mention her encounter with the freaky man. "I was looking for you."

"Why would you do that? I was here all along," she murmured as she examined an antique lamp. "Do you remember that man in the carriage? I saw him head towards Father's mansion! I think he was the man I was to dine with today. The man looked neither fat nor ugly. Father has unusually good taste for once. I want to go home to see if I'm right. Come on!"

Millerna grabbed Hitomi's hand and they both ran up the street to the mansion. Millerna was right. The carriage was there. They hurried inside and found the man in deep conversation with Mr. Aston. They seemed to be arguing about something. Mr. Aston's face was flushed with heat.

"You say that there are vampires here in Asturia?" he asked incredulously.

The man simply nodded.

"Why, you must be insane. Never in my 65 years have I heard of such a ridiculous tale."

"It's true, Mr. Aston. There have been a number of reports done on vampire activity."

"I'm telling you, there are no such things. And even if there were they're probably too stupid to realize that we have the upper hand."

"You shouldn't underestimate them," the man said gravely.

Mr. Aston roared with laughter.

Millerna slightly blushed at her father's manners. Hitomi stared curiously at the stranger until his eyes turned to her. He gave a slight nod of recognition and rested his gaze on Millerna. He seemed taken away by her very breath. Millerna seemed just as raptured by him. Mr. Aston stopped talking and noticed the man's attention was on Millerna. "Millerna! There you are. And you too Hitomi. You arrived home just in time to meet our guest, Mr. Allen Schezar."

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A/N: Well? How'd you like it? I know it took a while to post the second chapter. Writer's block. Mann, I like this story so much but not quite as much as my first one. Maybe it'll grow on me. Please review, thank you.


	3. Immortal Rain

**Disclaimer: **Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: Yea, she died! I'm so evil (laughs tremendously evilly) i kid i kid! (new phrase i discovered from a friend. Very cool. You are very welcome to try it yourself! In place of 'just kidding') I just couldn't help myself! Just you wait until you read _what_ she dies of muahahahaa...actually I must admit, very sheepishly, that I really haven't the faintest idea. Lol Oh my, Ilove writing this story so much! I hope you guys like it as much as i do.

Thank you so much for reviewing! It's very much appreciated.

Now, enjoy readers of mine!

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**Chapter 3**

**Immortal Rain**

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The man who Mr. Aston had called Allen stood up and bowed before them as a way to probably impress Millerna and her father. Well, that was what Hitomi thought. She was too distracted by the encounter with the man in the alley. She feared that he would show up any time and force her to do something beyond imagination. What was it that the lady had taken from him anyway?

Mr. Aston turned to Millerna. "Why don't you go upstairs and change into something for dinner? You go help her, Hitomi. I didn't hire you without a reason."

When they were upstairs, Millerna fell on the bed and gave a sigh. "Hitomi, what do you think of him?"

"Of who?" she asked as she rummaged through Millerna's gigantic armoire.

"Allen, silly."

"Oh. He's very . . . handsome and genteel. Like you said, at least he's not ugly or greedy looking."

"I wonder what Father thinks of him?"

Hitomi shrugged. "I'm not sure your dad likes him very much. Didn't you see them arguing before?"

"It could've been a friendly thing."

Hitomi agreed but silently disagreed. It hadn't seemed very friendly. Allen appeared quite serious about the vampires. That word sent chills down Hitomi's spine. What if Allen was right? But then again, she didn't exactly know him to completely take his word for it. She pulled out a long silk gown to which Millerna approved. Millerna slipped into it and Hitomi had to button the thousands of little buttons on the back of the dress.

"Ugh, I hate wearing dresses. I always feel suffocated and restrained. Sometimes I wish I was born a man," frowned Millerna. She absently yanked at the flowing layers.

"You're not the only one who has to wear them." Hitomi swished her own.

"But you aren't mandated to."

"I guess I was born lucky."

Millerna rolled her eyes before starting down the stairs to the dining room. Hitomi looked out the window and saw silent raindrops falling slowly and peacefully. When they entered the dining room, Hitomi almost jumped out of her skin when she saw the man from the alley sitting comfortably in one of the dining chairs. She swallowed and pretended she didn't know him as she sat down at the end of the table, far away from him.

Mr. Aston was positioned at the head of the table while Millerna sat close to him with Allen across from her. And that man was sitting next to Allen and Hitomi was left all to herself at the far end of the table.

Mr. Aston noticed and pointed it out. "Hitomi, what the devil are you doing down there? Come over and sit next to Millerna. There's plenty of room tonight."

Reluctantly Hitomi got up from her seat and moved down several chairs. That _man_ was now across from her and he flashed her a discreet, arrogant smile. She suppressed a scowl and impulsively smiled sweetly at him. The others began eating while she and the man continued their silent battle of seeing who could last longer smiling.

Millerna nudged her and whispered, "Why are you smiling like that? If you smiled any harder I think your face would crack."

The man, upon hearing that comment—though Hitomi didn't know how he could have—gave a loud, rich laugh. "I think your friend is right, Hitomi."

Mr. Aston looked up from his concentrated eating. "You know this man?"

Before Hitomi could make an answer, the man cut in. "Not exactly. We ran into each other about a week ago. For a brief moment, right, Hitomi?"

Hitomi managed a stiff nod.

Mr. Aston said, "I didn't know you were in town last week, Van."

"I was just dropping by for a few checkups."

Mr. Aston then explained to the others. "Van runs one of the best businesses on Gaea. A very intelligent man. Allen, you should get a few tips from him."

Allen nodded, though his eyes seemed distrustful of Van. "I believe I will."

Hitomi didn't trust Van herself. Her impression of him was a sly, good for nothing scumbag. His actions had proved it to her. He had probably tried to rape that woman just like he had tried to do it to her. It was a good thing Hitomi had been around to hear the woman's scream. Her distaste grew even more.

Allen addressed Van. "Tell me, Van, what _sort_ of business do you do?"

Van eyed him warily. "Well, it depends, Allen. I am head of all merchandise sold here in Asturia as well as several other cities, except for Mr. Aston's own products. So what do _you_ suppose my business is?"

Hitomi quietly contemplated that beneath his words was a warning for Allen to mind his own business. Allen fell silent, as if nursing new thoughts base on Van's character. Mr. Aston pursued with finishing the food before it grew cold. Millerna seemed oblivious to the hostile air between Allen and Van and Hitomi and Van.

When dessert was brought out, a fresh baked custard pie, Van settled onto the reason why he came.

"Mr. Aston, I assume you are aware of the critical state my business and yours are? Something very, _very_ rare was stolen from one of my dealers in Palas." Van's eyes flickered to Hitomi for a brief moment. "It must be found immediately. The dealer holds its complete faith in me and if I don't get it back, my business isn't the only one to suffer."

"Yes, I heard," he said hollowly. His face was pale. "We—we must find it. I'll send out all my men and none of them will stop searching until it is found."

"Good. I'm glad you understand."

Hitomi was surprised at how much power Van had over Mr. Aston. She had always thought Mr. Aston was the most powerful man in Asturia, but apparently she was wrong. If Van was capable of that, what else was he capable of?

Mr. Aston seemed to relax once dinner was over and he was reclined in a large black leather couch. "Van, Allen told me that there are vampires in Asturia. How absurd is that?"

Van's expression was unchanged. "It's possible. One can never be too certain."

Hitomi suddenly wondered if he was one. His canines had looked unnaturally sharp . . . but if he was a vampire then he wouldn't be eating the food like he had. She stared uneasily at him. As if reading her thoughts, Van winked at her before turning to face Mr. Aston. Allen's eyes had remained on Van the whole time, scrutinizing him.

"I say it's only too possible," remarked Allen. "Photos of victims have shown spaced holes in their necks. There are too many to be coincidental. And their blood have been sucked dry. Who but vampires are capable of doing that?"

"Psychotic killers?" suggested Van with a half grin.

Mr. Aston gave a rumbling laugh. "You see, Allen? There could be other contributors."

Allen sighed and changed the subject. "Your daughter is quite beautiful."

"Ah, she's the apple of my eye."

"I think her beauty is beyond words," added Van. Mr. Aston beamed like any proud parent would. Hitomi didn't say anything. She was used to comments like these. No one had ever said anything on her behalf though.

Then Van said, "I think Hitomi may be a winner too."

Hitomi stiffened. Mr. Aston looked doubtful and seemed to be thinking if it could even _be_ possible. Allen nodded his agreement and smiled at her. Hitomi blushed and shied away from the attention, feeling very uncomfortable and extremely self-conscious. _That bastard. I bet he enjoys my suffering. He's only doing it to spite me._

"It's getting late, boys," said Mr. Aston, getting up. "If I was as young as you I would stay up much later but I'm getting old. I need my rest."

"The night has just begun!" exclaimed Van. In fact, he did seem to liven up despite his slight paleness.

Hitomi certainly didn't feel that way and neither did anyone else. Everyone was either yawning or rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

After Allen left, Van lingered for a few minutes. Hitomi went upstairs to help Millerna undress for bed. When she came down, Van was leaning against the door. Mr. Aston had gone to bed already. Hitomi pointedly ignored him and went into the kitchen to inform the maid of the next day's grocery list. As Hitomi passed Van again to go upstairs, his hand shot out and snatched her arm. She flinched.

"Are you going to keep ignoring me?"

"What else am I going to do?" she said stiffly. She didn't want to be near him, let alone in the same room.

"Remember what you owe me."

"I don't owe you anything."

His eyes flashed between red and brown. "You do and you know it. I'm coming tomorrow in the morning for you."

"Why not now?"

"Now isn't a good time." For some strange reason a sly smile crept to his face.

"What were you trying to do to me that night?"

"Hmm. What do _you_ think?"

Hitomi wasn't so sure. He didn't exactly rape her as she had intentionally thought. "I don't know. . . but I know it was something I didn't like!"

He laughed. "You seem to have changed since our encounter."

"I'm not the only one," she said through gritted teeth. She was tired of him laughing at her like she was some idiot. "Besides, I thought you were a homeless man."

"Huh. So you pitied me and thought your innocent act would soothe me."

"I am going to bed now. It's past my bedtime."

"You? You have a bedtime? Didn't someone ever tell you that you stopped having one once you turned 18?"

She bristled with anger but fought to keep it at bay. "I still need sleep. I'm only human."

At this, Van's lips parted a little, revealing the tips of his front teeth. The two cuspids protruded slightly over his bottom lip. They seemed . . . shorter than she last remembered. "Yes, only human. Well, good night then. Sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite."

Hitomi went to bed in a bad mood. Her fear of him was overtaken by the anger he had aroused in her. She wished the night would last forever so that she would not have to see his stupid face in the morning. But, alas, dawn approached and her dread increased with the sun's slow ascent into the partially blanketed sky.

And there he was, adorned in a sultry red cuffed shirt and fitted tan pants. His skin had a glow to it that she hadn't seem the night before. Mr. Aston was up as well and as usual in the dining area doing what he loved doing best—eating. Van was seated erect before him, eying him with scrutiny.

As Hitomi entered the kitchen, Mr. Aston looked up from his plate of steaming sausages and other delectables. "Ah, you're awake. I was wondering when you would. Van has informed me that he wishes to speak on your behalf."

"Yes," began Van. "Mr. Aston, do you remember last night of the stolen item? I have a proposition that I would very much like to make."

Mr. Aston paused in his eating. "What is it?"

Van's eyes slid over to Hitomi and winked at her before returning them to Mr. Aston. "With your permission of course, I want Hitomi."

Mr. Aston choked on his oily sausage and Hitomi's eyes bulged, and in unison they exclaimed, "What?"

"I want Hitomi . . . to help me with the search. Let's just say that Hitomi will be the promise you made in finding me my merchandise. If you find it, you can have her back. But if you can't, I keep her."

"What kind of a deal is that?" She felt like she was some sort of thing that could be picked up and stashed anywhere. "It's blackmail."

"You can call it blackmail but I prefer to call it business necessities."

"Why do you want Hitomi? Why not Millerna?" asked Mr. Aston.

Van sighed impatiently. "You value your daughter more, yes? I don't want a league of policemen after my head if your daughter got hurt. But Hitomi, on the other hand, she's not as valuable. However, your daughter is very attached to her and you wouldn't want your daughter to be unhappy, do you? Hitomi is just a safeguard. I'll make sure no harm comes to her."

Mr. Aston finally nodded, indicating his consent.

_Excuse me? Not as valuable?_ It was as if she had no say in this. What the hell was this? She had as much value as anyone! _Bastard._

"Well, Hitomi, it looks like we'll be seeing much more of each other as of now. Why don't you take a nice stroll with me? There is much I wish to discuss." Van's obnoxious grin filled her guts with more hate than she had ever felt for anyone before.

He reached out a hand and clamped it firmly beneath her elbow, leading her out of the mansion and into the fierce, wintry morning. He hadn't the sense to ask whether she was cold or not. He must have been insane as well because he breathed in the piercing cold air and exhaled with much satisfaction, and unbuttoned his collar.

She yanked her arm back and walked two arms length from him. He didn't seem to care but was rather amused. They walked in utter silence for a while, Van content and Hitomi extremely glum. A cat stalked in front of them and seemed angry because it stiffly flicked its tail at them. Van flinched for no apparent reason.

Van took that little exposure to warm up to Hitomi. "So, what's life like with the fat man?"

". . . Mr. Aston?"

"Yes."

"You don't like him?"

"Nah. Too greedy for his own good."

Hitomi secretly agreed. "You didn't seem to have anything against him when we were at the mansion."

"That's all for business, Hitomi. I'd lose my partnership with him if I really showed how I felt about him. And that wouldn't be good."

She noticed he seemed more relaxed now that he was out of his work zone. He was more loose and his language was colloquial now. He had been very formal with Mr. Aston and always addressed him in respectful terms.

"What do you want with me anyway? It's not like I could do anything to help you."

For the first time, he gave her a sincere smile. "That's where you're wrong, honey."

Hitomi still couldn't forget the night before when Van was in the alley with the woman. He seemed completely different, as if he was someone else. He had seemed vicious and dangerous, but now he appeared as harmless as a docile cat. What had caused such a drastic change?

Speaking of cats . . . the cat came back again, appearing more flustered than before. Finally, it stopped directly in their way and transformed into the stealthy form of a strange cat-like young woman. Hitomi freaked out. Never in her life had she imagined such an encounter.

Hitomi shrank away from her. "What _is _that!"

The young girl hissed at her before turning to Van. "How DARE you. How _dare_ you bite my cat!"

"Bite . . . your cat . . . ?" he repeated. His faced registered a forgotten memory.

_Bite? Her cat?_ Hitomi repeated in her mind. She didn't like the sound of that and fearfully backed away from him. Her suspicions of him being a vampire were nearly confirmed. She only had to see him actually do it to believe wholeheartedly.

"A week ago you so stupidly sucked my—"

"Not here, Merle. _She_ doesn't know."

"Tell her to go somewhere else. I need to talk to you."

"I said not here."

Merle took the hint and sunk into a sullen silence. Hitomi sensed that she had something urgent to tell him. "She needs to tell you something. You can't just ignore her like that."

Van glanced at Hitomi for a brief second. "This is none of your business."

In her mind, she imagined shooting him down with huge dung pellets. Her feelings toward him fluctuated so frequently. One minute she would absolutely hate him and then she'd feel fine, and then she would end up hating him again. Merle looked like she was imagining the same thing Hitomi had.

"She's right, Van. You can't ignore me. I'm bonded to you now because you . . ." Merle muttered the rest under her breath.

"There's no way I could be bonded to you," he said stubbornly.

"Like it or not, I am."

"And how did it so suddenly happen? I don't ever recall doing anything."

"_You_ probably don't but my cat surely does—"

Van interrupted her. "Hitomi, could you please excuse us for a second?"

"Sure," Hitomi replied sarcastically. _Anything to get away from you._

She stood by a large oak tree as they walked a distance. Their argument was extremely funny to watch. Merle's hand gestures looked overly dramatic and her facial expression looked like a fish gaping for water. Van looked strangely emotionless, sort of like he was stoned.

His figure was very lithe and, she wouldn't call it graceful, but it was something similar to that. And he was so pale . . . it was kind of scary. _Like a vampire . . ._ Hitomi glanced back to see if they were looking at her and when they weren't, she walked away as fast and silently as she could. She looked back again.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Hitomi faced forward and almost died of a heart attack. Standing before her with his arms folded across his chest was a deadly looking Van. How did he get in front of her? And so quickly too?

"Um, I was just going for a . . . a walk! Yea, that's it."

He raised a suspicious eyebrow. "It sure didn't look like it to me."

"No, it probably wouldn't." He made her feel like some sort of slave. She couldn't take it anymore. "What do you plan to do with me?

"What do I plan to do with you . . ."

He suddenly grinned.

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_Present Day_

_Van silently roamed the streets of Asturia for the better part of the night, reminiscing the times he spent with Hitomi. What _did_ he plan to do with her? Well, what he did do was probably one of his favorite memories. He smiled to himself._

_Fat grey clouds blanketed the sky like dirty snow on tall mountain ranges. The wind blew with fierce determination, subsiding every once in a while to let the weaker drafts run past in the traffic. Droplets of rain began to fall like silvery pearls from iridescent oysters. One by one they dropped onto Van's face, giving the impression that he was crying._

_But he wasn't. He had long been past that phase. It took years but he was able to do it, painful though it was._

_Rione and Miji were out feeding together. He had given them a strict curfew and they always obeyed. It always made him feel good when they listened to him. As a single father, without his beloved wife, they were the only people he had that was closest to her._

_Sometimes he wished he had died with her. But their children would be left alone to themselves. Who would take care of them? They were so young, unready for the perils of the real world._

_So deep in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice Rione had appeared beside him. Rione grasped onto Van's large hand. Van looked down and smiled. Fresh blood tainted his innocent little mouth. Van bent down and wiped it off._

"_Where's Miji?" asked Van._

_Rione pointed to a tree. Miji was dangling wildly from a branch and laughing hysterically. Next to her was a squirrel doing the same thing. It gibbered angrily at her before pulling itself up and running furiously up the tree. Miji jumped down and ran over to Van and Rione._

"_That was so much fun, Daddy. But Rione's too scared."_

"_No, I'm not."_

"_Yes, you are."_

"_I'm just tired."_

_Miji yawned. "Oh, me too."_

_Dawn was just minutes away. It was way past their bedtime, but this time Van allowed them to slip past their curfew. He lifted them both up and carried each in his arms. "Let's go home."_

_

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	4. Uninvited Warfare

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: Wow! Thanks for the excellent reviews. I really and deeply appreciate your thorough analysis.It really helps a writer flourish in his or her writing. Thanks again. I'm open to all kinds of reviews so feel free to state what you're thinking and feeling. I encourage you to! And don't be afraid to hurt my feelings. Be brutal if you have to. Lol.

Ohh man, I am in LOVE with Escaflowne again. It was already one of my favorites but now it's the ultimate! I don't anything can top it. I'd feel much better if it was posted as The Vision of Escaflowne, since that is the actual title, but I guess the title was too long. Anyway, I blabber too much so just ignore me and read!

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**Chapter 4**

**Uninvited Warfare**

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Van licked his lips and said, "I want you to act as my wife."

Hitomi's mind was still on the transforming girl/cat. Had her brain suddenly malfunctioned and gave the impression that the girl had turned from a cat into a girl who still retained the traits of a cat? When his statement finally registered her brain, she gave him a look of distaste. "Why?"

"No? Then how about my lover?"

"But why?"

"The woman who stole that _thing_ from me . . . let's just say she absolutely adores me."

She smirked. "So you want to lure her to you? By using me?"

"Yes, Hitiomi. How very clever of you to work it out yourself. So you will?"

"No."

He played with a lock of her hair. "Why not?"

Hitomi yanked her hair from his hands. "It doesn't seem a very smart thing to do."

Van's smile widened as he stepped closer to Hitomi. She recoiled from him in a manner that suddenly made him burst with laughter. "Do I really scare you that much?"

"No," she said contemptuously. "Your breath stinks."

"Oh, really?" He breathed into his hand and sniffed it. "Hmm, I agree."

Hitomi laughed despite herself but quickly recovered. "You're very strange."

"Am I?" He clasped his hands behind his back. "So are you willing to do it?"

"I already said no."

"But if you don't Mr. Aston will be a very sad man. He needs to find that missing item. And if he's sad, then poor Millerna will be sad as well. And you don't want that do you?"

"How dare you try to blackmail me."

"I'm not trying. I _am_ blackmailing you."

Hitomi felt the sudden urge to smack him. She didn't care if this was a business necessity. "I don't care. I don't want to do it."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Van turned his back on her and walked away in a purposeful stride that seemed to mock her. He sure gave up easily. Hitomi bit her lip. What was she to do? Mr. Aston was depending on her to retrieve the stolen merchandise. Millerna had shown her much kindness and helped her adjust to life in the city. She had also given Hitomi a place in her home. Hitomi didn't want Millerna or her father to suffer because of her . . .

"I'll do it."

Van stopped as if he knew she was going to say yes. He smiled at her, obviously very pleased at his success. "That's more like it."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, first off, tomorrow we're having a dinner gathering at my home with my business partners. I would prefer it if you were there. No, I want you to be there. You need to know who my partners are if you plan to be—act as my girlfriend."

"Why?"

"You have to know because they are a load of conceited snobs who will ask you questions concerning mostly themselves. If you don't look interested they might become highly offended and take it out on me."

Hitomi didn't like the sound of that. "Are _all_ of them like that?"

"Sadly, yes."

"Then why'd you decide to work with them?"

"You ask a lot of questions you know that? Anyway, they may be cocky but they're excellent when it comes to handling business."

"Oh."

"I almost forgot. Businessmen always go by first impression. You should wear something nice. It doesn't have to be blindingly dazzling but it should reflect your personality. Besides, I don't think it would suit you. _She _is going to be there so make sure you're head over heels for me."

By _she_, Hitomi assumed it was the woman who had stolen the 'thing' from him. "That's going to take some serious acting, Van."

He smirked. "It's not that hard to fall in love with me."

_Conceited._ "Why would she be there if she stole something from you? Wouldn't she be somewhere far, far away by now?"

"Not necessarily. It's possible for her to have several accomplices. And she's here to probably appear as if nothing happened. To resume her role. If she suddenly went away without warning, people will notice and get suspicious. And every criminal knows that."

_Ugh, why me?_ Hitomi groaned and wondered why he didn't consider himself a snob like the others. She had a feeling she was going to have a horrible time.

The dreaded day came faster than Hitomi had anticipated. She still had nothing to wear and she didn't particularly care. She didn't want to suffer the insolent stares of complete and total strangers nor did she desire to converse with them.

Millerna showed up at Hitomi's doorway. "I need your help, Hitomi. I can't seem to find a dress."

"Where are you going?"

Millerna hesitated before answering. "I'm going to the dinner party at Van's."

"You're going too?"

"Hitomi, _you're_ going? With who?" she asked incredulously.

"No one you'd want to go with. So who's your date?"

Millerna blushed a little. "Allen."

"Good choice." And then she added under her breath, "Unlike mine."

Hitomi rummaged through her own closet and did not find a single gown. Millerna graciously lent her a long shimmery gown that shifted from emerald to rich forest green with movement. It had been too small for Millerna but fitted Hitomi quite well. Hitomi sat with a pouty face as Millerna struggled to tame her hair into manageable curls. When Millerna was done, Hitomi felt like a monster out of a horror film. Her head was a ball of excessively, curly curls.

Hitomi shuddered distastefully at her reflection. "My hair's too short for anything. Do you think we'll have time to wet it down?"

Millerna shrugged delicately. Her hair was always beautiful, always the gift of perfection. It cascaded in dainty waves down the elegant curve of her spine. With Hitomi's helpful advice, Millerna wore a trailing rustic gown of romantic mauve.

There was an affirmative rap on the door downstairs. Hitomi stared horrified at Millerna, who ran downstairs to answer it to see who it was. Hitomi frantically splashed water on the stupid curls, hoping to force them to lose their insanely cheery bounce. She did _not_ want Van to see her looking like a disgusting doll. Hell, she even scared herself. What would he think if he saw her?

She heard Millerna greet someone in a gushy voice. The guest answered in a smooth and pleasant tone. _Pleasant?_ When had she, Hitomi Kanzaki, an avid adversaryof Van de Fanel, thought his voice was pleasant?

When she deemed the curls were much less frivolous, she clambered noisily down the stairs. She might not have the freedom to do so later considering the severe formality of the occasion. Already her shoes were squeezing the life out of her poor feet. Why did it have to hurt so much to feel beautiful?

Van waited like a perfect gentleman at the base of the stairs, an arm ready for her to loop hers through. She doggedly ignored it and brushed past him, greeting Allen who had just arrived. Allen and Van locked eyes, each scrutinizing the other.

If Hitomi hadn't know any better, she would have thought they were challenging each other in some sort of crazed mental onslaught. What possessed Allen to feel such animosity towards Van? Was it for the same reasons she herself did?

Allen finally broke the gaze and turned to Millerna, sincerely apologizing for ignoring her. Van had his hands in his pockets as he sidled up to Hitomi. "Let's go."

Hitomi looked back at Millerna, who seemed shock upon finding that Van was her mysterious date, and waved her a goodbye. She squared her shoulders and braced herself for the long dark night. Van paused at his classy, antique carriage. It reminded her of him somehow.

"Aren't you going in?" she asked.

"Ladies first."

Hitomi felt a little hesitant because it was so dark inside, but climbed in nonetheless. _Van better not try anything or he'll have my heels to answer to._

The carriage shifted with the weight of Van's body as he entered and sat next to Hitomi. The coachman gently shut the door and hoisted himself up on the front driver seat, grasping the reigns expertly in his hands. Hitomi heard the horses snort as they rolled the carriage to a start.

Van had taken off his suit jacket and was rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. The muscles in his biceps bulged as he pushed the sleeves up. He fell back against the crimson cushion and sighed. The profile of his face appeared as though it had been meticulously chiseled by an artist's perceptive and loving hand. His body looked as if it belonged to the Greek god of war, Ares.

Was she supposed to be having these thoughts? Hitomi thoughtfully scooted an inch from him, which was all that was allowed in the compact space they were confined in.

"Don't worry, it's not that far," he drawled, giving her a wry smile.

She sighed. Why couldn't he just send the carriage by itself without him? Hitomi sat silent in the carriage as it tumbled passed dimly lit streets and little town squares. The shadows cast by large shapely trees flickered by and formed into freakish shapes as whims of her overactive imagination. The feeling of being watched returned again. Her heartbeat picked up.

Hitomi turned her head and saw that it was Van who had been looking at her. "What?"

There was a desperate, hungry look in his eyes that she found to be highly disturbing. Her heart gave a panicked lurch. A soft hiss escaped his slightly parted lips before he snapped out of the daze. "I'm sorry."

She remained rigid against the wall of the coach. "It's fine."

They arrived safe and sound at Van's lodging a few minutes later, much to her relief. Hitomi stepped down before Van could offer his arm again. She was elated to see something enchanting after experiencing that chilling event. The manor occupied much land and was articulately designed with the flourish of an expert carpenter. It was very elegant and had a comfortable air about it. _Didn't Mr. Aston say Van wasn't from around here?_

"I didn't know you lived here."

"I don't," he said bluntly as he slipped his jacket back on. "I bought it to accommodate my needs whenever I stay here in Asturia. I don't like hotels or inns very much. Now, shall we go in as a couple deeply in love?"

"Do we have to?"

"Of course. Come on, Hitomi. If I were to judge us on how our relationship is going, I'd give it a minus five."

"I told you it wasn't going to be easy to pretend it all."

Van gingerly lifted her chin with a finger. "Would it help if I made it real?"

"I . . . I don't know."

"Well, let's try," he said softly. He held out his arm and she looped hers through his and together they crossed the threshold into Van's home.

A well attired butler greeted them and took their coats before escorting them into the lounge. No one else had arrived yet. Hitomi pointed it out to Van.

"I just thought we needed some bonding time," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Bonding time?" Her heart sunk. She didn't exactly feel like being alone with him at the moment.

"Shall I give you a tour of the house?"

"It's okay."

He cleared his throat and repeated, emphasizing the question until Hitomi realized that it was to practice developing their fickle relationship. He brought her out of the kitchen and into a private room with a fireplace and a beautiful oak cello. Its surface shone with a rare brilliance. Hitomi wondered if he played it. They circled the whole lower floor before creeping upstairs for a glimpse of the other furnished rooms. There were so many bedrooms Hitomi lost count of how many there actually were.

"Why do you have so many rooms when you're the only one living here?"

"You with the questions!" he exasperated. "Sometimes guests stay over."

"What's in this room?" Hitomi went over to it and was about to open the door when Van stepped in front of her.

"This room is off limits."

"Why?"

"I didn't plan on sharing everything with you. I need to preserve some of my privacy at least," he said grinning. "Come, there's something I want to show you."

Curiosity peaked, she asked, "What is it?"

"It's a surprise," he replied with a sudden sweet smile.

Hitomi's stomach fluttered unexpectedly, surprising her because she didn't know why it did that. She followed Van down a section and into a large storage area. Her eyes widened as it landed on a giant humanoid mecha. It sat on a heavy throne looking straight ahead as one of superior authority. A grand sword was held majestically point down in its right hand. The design of the machine looked to be of a tremendously rare and exquisite kind. Who on heaven could have built such a magnificent thing? Van wore a proud look on his face. Could it be that he had? _Impossible, it must've taken more than 10 years to make it._

"It's the most valuable thing I own," he said.

"It's beautiful. Who made it?"

"An ancient race that existed centuries long before you were born. This machine, referred to as a guymelef in the ancient tongue, is called Escaflowne. It was the only one of its kind. You see now how rare it is? It was once my father's and probably his father's but that was a long time ago."

"Does it work?"

He shook his head. "Escaflowne lost its heart when its master lost his. It was once able to shift the metal armor to form the shape of a dragon."

"Who was its master?"

Van gave her a sidelong glance. "He was a kindhearted man who lived for his people. It was grief that destroyed him."

"So he was a king . . ."

"Yes."

Hitomi wondered how the king was like. "Did he have a wife?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"He didn't have time for one. Let's go back down. I think our guests have arrived."

They went into the dining room and found that Mr. Aston, Allen, and Millerna were already seated. Millerna flashed Hitomi a you-didn't-do-anything-I-wouldn't-do look. Hitomi blushed and shook her head vigorously, causing the jumble of dead curls on her head to fall into a seizure-like frenzy. She was horrified Millerna would think such a ghastly thing.

Hitomi was given a chair beside Van, much to her utter dismay. Soon all the appointed guests arrived, some later than the scheduled time, but most on time. Hitomi watched fascinated as they came in and seated themselves down in chairs as if they knew it was for them and only them. They all expelled fumes of arrogance in the way they held themselves and looked at others, especially her since they had never seen her before.

They all introduced themselves to her as politely as their forced lips could utter and Hitomi, trying her best to hide her own contempt, smiled back at them. And then _she_ came in, fierce and elegant in her elegant black dress. Her hair was twisted in a pretty little knot on the top of her head. The woman truly out shown everyone in the room. Her beauty was remarkable even compared to the fair Millerna. Everyone seemed captivated by her intense presence, including Van.

He quickly snapped out of it. "Well, since Sora is the last of us to arrive, shall we begin dinner at once?"

There was a unanimous agreement and plates upon plates of mouth-watering delectables were brought out. Wine was poured and the sounds of metal clinking on metal indicated that mouths were busy consuming the delightful entrees.

Hitomi stared at the strangely and thickly red wine. Her heart pounded as images of blood popped in her mind. She felt sick. When Van noticed that she wasn't drinking it, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's . . . it's nothing."

He shrugged and downed his in three gulps. "It's the best wine I have. Try it, it's good."

She felt very reluctant and tried to hold her glass without trembling so much. Her hands refused to raise the glass to her lips.

"Oh, for gods' sakes, I'll do it for you," he whispered in her ear. And then added, "At least it'll give an impression of our affection towards each other. Try not to act as if you're being forced into it."

"How can I not?" she hissed back, but kept a smile on her face for the guests.

Van tipped the glass cup into her mouth and the smooth red liquid drained itself down her throat. She was surprised to find that it was light and sweet but a bit raw on her esophagus.

"See?" he remarked. "It didn't kill you."

Hitomi winced. _It looked like it could have._ She looked around the table and saw an albino man conversing thoughtfully with Sora. His hair was a pretty white color and his skin glowed like the moon when it waxed full. But his eyes beheld a fearsome color that which his body visibly lacked: blood red. His figure was very long and lean, almost feminine. He caught Hitomi starring at him and he gave her shady grin. Hitomi looked away, embarrassed.

Beside her, Van let out a low hiss as he spotted the red-eyed man. "What is _he_ doing here?"

* * *

A/N: Happy New Year!


	5. Withered Rose

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Withered Rose**

* * *

Upon closer examination, the red-eyed man had the same sort of paleness Van had. Was he too a vampire? Hitomi shook the thought from her head. She hadn't  
even proven that Van was a vampire yet. What made her so sure that the other man was one?

Hitomi was surprised to see how angry Van seemed. _They must be rivals._ _Or . . . could it be that the man is one of Sora's accomplices?_ She watched the albino some more, hoping to catch a clue to bring an end to the awful playacting as soon as conveniently possible. But she was also curious too. He seemed . . . what was that word, surly—in a wily sort of way.

Van stood up and said coolly, despite the rage in his eyes, "I don't believe you were invited, Dilandau."

Talk at the table dissipated as all eyes turned on him and Van. Dilandau sat back against the chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, Van, then I guess Sora didn't tell you that she invited me."

"No, I guess not." His eyes stole over to Sora, who appeared as if nothing had happened. "I hadn't realized how close you two had become."

"Does that make you jealous?"

Hitomi straightened up, listening intently. The others did so as well.

Van snorted. "No. Should it?"

Hitomi thought she heard a few sighs from some of the guests.

"I saw that look on your face."

"You were mistaken, Dilandau. Don't ever make such a foolish mistake again. Let us continue our dinner now. There's no point in arguing if it's pointless."

As Van sat back down, Hitomi noted how calmly he took things. She was surprised he let it go so easily. What was the reason for that? Was it to save face in front of all these people? If she had been in his place, she would've bowled the man over with all she had and left him entirely decrepit.

She secretly sipped more of the red wine, hating Van for being right about how good it tasted. Her face felt oddly flushed. Was she coming down with a fever? She drained the whole wineglass and after, nodded at the men and women who incessantly warbled about their excellent careers and amazing life.

A servant came and refilled her glass. Should she drink it? Hitomi peered at everyone else to see if they were watching her. No one did. She daintily sipped some more. Her head swam and the room seemed to zoom in and out. She thought she saw a bird's nest on a woman's head. Or was that her actual hair? "Oh dear."

She heard Van discussing business matters with what's-his-name . . . Mr. Broc—Broccoli? No, no. That wasn't right. Was it? The people around Van then spread what they had been told to the others further down the table. She stared happily at the red wine. _A little more wouldn't hurt._ Dilandau approached her, seeming to move with painfully exaggerated swaggers. Perhaps it was her imagination.

"Hello there," he greeted, surprising her by how good natured he sounded. He was extremely handsome in his own way, too.

She giggled. "Hello."

He smiled back. "I apologize for earlier. We have not been properly introduced. I am Dilandau Albatou, here at your service to command as you see fit."

"Really?" She stood up, swaying slightly. _Oh boy, it's kind of hot in here._ "I'm Hitomi Kanzaki. It's such a plea . . . pleasure to meet you."

He bowed very serenely, unlike _someone_ she was disdainfully stuck with. Dilandau straightened and then reached behind her, winking as he did so, and produced a lavender rose. "For you."

"Ooh, thank you!" A giddy laugh escaped from her burning throat. How nice of him. However, her smiled was destroyedwhen she felt Van's arm slither across her waist. She withheld the urge to fling it off. How tragic this was. She was supposed to be in love with him. _Hmm, fat chance_

"Hello, love," Van purred in her ear.

Hitomi's head jerked, forgetting her role. Love? _Love?_ "I don't love you . . ."

"Have you been drinking too much of my wine?" he asked concernedly, masking her slip.

A surprised look came onto Dilandau's face. "I didn't know you two were a couple."

"Of course we are," Van said stiffly.

"How come none of us knew?"

"I didn't want my private life to be displayed like an open book."

"How long has it been?"

"A good amount," Van answered, refusing to move into details.

"What a pity," Dilandau muttered. "She deserves someone better."

"Take that back, mongrel. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"I'm only stating the obvious, Van. She wouldn't be drunk if you had done something about it."

Hitomi felt so drowsy. Her head and eyelids felt heavy, as if strings were pulling them down. Seeing that she had no other choice, she rested her head on Van's chest. _There, that's better._ A puff of his musky scent wafted under her nose. It was actually a very pleasant aroma. She absently fingered his collar.

"I was occupied at the time. You really should look at yourself first, Dilandau, before you speak of others."

Dilandau smirked. "I can say as much for you."

Van's grip on her waist tightened and she nearly yelped because he nearly pinched her. And in doing so, crushed the delicate rose Dilandau had given her. No apology. What a shame. Dilandau was right. She _did_ deserve someone better! But then again, they were only pretending. For some reason, she felt a little disappointed.

Some of the guests stood up and bade Van goodnight. Hitomi thought the dinner was going to last longer. The night went by so fast. Did the discussions always end so quickly? A man approached them. "So it's done with? You've taken matters into your own hands?"

"Yes, Mr. Brusche," Van replied.

_Oh, so that was his name . . ._ Hitomi wondered what would have happened if she had called him Mr. Broccoli in public. Van would have killed her for sure, that much she knew.

"Well then, good evening, Van. And you too, Miss Kanzaki."

A stab of guilt pierced her conscience. Mr. Brusche had taken the pains to memorize her name and she hadn't bothered to learn his. She nodded her head, giving him her blessing as well. She didn't trust herself to speak, as she wasn't exactly feeling herself. Sora stood watching them with a calm reserve. Hitomi saw again that sly smile, like a strong, determined amazon. _I would certainly die in a fight with her,_ she concluded.

Sora walked by and whispered something—seductive, Hitomi was sure—to Van. His eyes trailed after her for a while. Suddenly, he gently pushed Hitomi against the wall and leaned in close, making them look intimate with one another. He brought his mouth to her ear.

"What, what the hell do you think you're doing?" she stammered, eyes wide. Something triggered her mind to wake so she no longer felt the effects of the wine.

"Quiet, Hitomi. Do you see Dilandau? Just give me a nod if you do."

She discreetly peered over his shoulder and saw Dilandau sitting on the couch conversing with someone she wasn't familiar with. She nodded.

Van shifted his position so she could no longer see Dilandau's figure. His fingers slipped through Hitomi's hair and touched her head against his. "I want you to go over to him and extract as much information from him as you can. If it's something valuable, tell me immediately."

"And what do I get in return?"

He stared at her until she wondered if he even heard the question. Then, he burst with a cruel laughter and planted a kiss on her cheek. "There, that should suffice."

"Suffice my arse."

"No? You should feel lucky. Not everyone's fortunate enough to receive a kiss from me. Now go." He gave a gentle push against the small of her back.

Hitomi's head swiveled back and shot him a ferocious scowl but he had already left to follow Sora. Some of the men that still remained eyed him jealously. Hitomi stood alone, fidgeting with the crease in her gown. What were the two going to do? And how dare that, that _mongrel_ leave her like this. Especially alone with these finicky men!

She gave a nervous smile as one of them boldly strode up to her, flashing a disgustingly narcissistic grin. It would have made a dying cat shoot half a mile down the street. Her insides cringed. Too bad, though. He was quite a handsome man. She pretended she didn't see him.

The man stepped in front of her and gave another horrific grin. "Why, hello there, young miss."

"Uh, hello, er, sir."

"Please, call me Drovis Welchaire. Will you do me the honor of giving me your name?"

"Um, why yes of course. It's Hitomi Kanzaki."

"What a lovely name. I do hope we meet again soon." He smiled vigorously again. The men he came with whistled and hooted for no apparent reason.

Hitomi swiveled her head away from him, pretending to be sneezing behind her hands, but really making tortured faces. _If he smiles like that one more time I think I'm going to break his teeth!_ She faced him again with a bright, cheery smile. "Well, I hope so too."

"Well then, goodnight, Miss Kanzaki. I must be going now. Come, friends of mine." He and his pack of savage beasts—his friends—sauntered out of the house and safely tucked themselves away in their cage of a carriage.

She was finally free! Hitomi made her way over to Dilandau, who invited her to sit next to him. He produced another lavender rose and held it loftily before her. She graciously accepted it, feeling horrible for having killed the first one.

"Is this what you do for a hobby? Making flowers appear out of nowhere?" she asked casually, sniffing the delicate flower.

He nodded. "It's my specialty."

"Is it hard? Can you show me?"

"No, Hitomi," he laughed. "It's a secret. If I was to show you, I'd have to kill you after."

Hitomi stiffened but then realized he meant it as a joke. She laughed awkwardly. "Tell me about yourself, Dilandau."

He looked at her curiously. "Won't Van get mad if he sees you talking to me?"

"Who cares about him. He's like that all the time," she babbled convincingly. "The only thing that makes him happy . . ."

Dilandau leaned in and she whispered, ". . . is when he's in the showers. He sings like a madman in there! It's amazing how I'm still alive."

They both ended up laughing for a full thirty seconds. Dilandau cocked his head to one side. "You know, there's something special about you."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, I shouldn't be telling you this . . ."

"Go on."

Dilandau grinned. Hitomi thought he was very attractive looking. He had this beautiful porcelain skin and these electrifying eyes. Lips that curled magnificently into smiles that made her head explode. Dilandau leaned against her and brushed her hair aside. "You remind me of Van's mother."

_Van's mother?_ What did he know about her? Van surely hadn't said anything about his mother. "What do you mean?"

"Van knows. You should ask him," he said coyly. A sly smiled played on his lips. Hitomi caught a glimpse of a pointed canine. It had the same sharpness as Van's.

She swallowed, uneasy. "I—I better go now. Van's probably waiting for me."

"Goodbye, Hitomi. You make quite an excellent companion," he remarked as he winked at her.

She nodded politely and hurried else where. She had to think but no where in the blasted house could she find a quiet spot. And to add on top of that, she was bothered by another person. This time it was the woman with the hair Hitomi had mistaken for a bird's nest. Despite the hideous hair, Hitomi discovered a shocking beauty that lighted up the woman's face. In fact, as she looked around the room, every one was either exceedingly handsome or breathtakingly beautiful. _Van sure runs a tough crowd._

"He's a fine specimen, isn't he?" spoke the woman in a low, sultry voice.

"Excuse me?"

"That man over there."

Hitomi looked around in a flurry to spot him, which added to the sinking dizziness she was suffering from. There were several men standing about. Which one could the woman be talking about? "Where?"

"_There._" The woman indicated with her eyes to the pale Dilandau.

"I guess . . . I—I really don't know."

The woman's fine brow raised sky high. "Not know? How can you say that when he made that rose appear for you again? And was polite enough to _speak_ with you?"

Hitomi shrank from the sudden force of her voice. "He's very gentlemanly."

"Yes, yes, he is. I would give anything . . . anything to have him touch me. As a god deflowering a poor milkmaid with his mighty staff."

Hitomi nearly gasped, her face flushing ruby red. The woman was excruciating _open_ with herself. There was no fear of humiliation in her. Hitomi would rather die than let anyone catch herself uttering those words. "I'm sure anything can happen."

"You think so?" the woman asked dreamily. She had a hand placed upon her breast and the most whimsical expression on her face.

Not sure of what to do, Hitomi nodded along with the woman, hoping to get rid of her as fast as possible. She was making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Or was it the wine? After an eternity, Van showed up beside her, hair strangely disheveled and a wild intensity in his eyes. His mouth was set in a straight line. What had he and Sora been doing? The woman left in a cloud of bliss, smiling contently.

"That was Ophi, very imaginative," Van remarked grimly.

_Imaginative, indeed. _One by one, all the guests too their leave until she was the only one left. Van had insisted that she stay behind, and she reluctantly obeyed because he was her only ride home. A sudden, terrible wooziness came over her just as the last guest left. Her head throbbed persistently until it felt like bloated balloon. So much pressure. She seemed to be wavering in a dense bubble of mist. Her knees wobbled. Strong hands caught her. She was drowning slowly, down into a shadowy abyss.

She remembered clutching tightly to someone's shirt. She remembered heavy breathing and then a prolonged hissing. She felt something sharp graze her neck. A frustrated growl quickly followed. Then, a great darkness enveloped her, leaving her vulnerable to the dangers beyond her control.

When at last she opened her eyes, it was still dark outside. Far away in the horizon was a soft glow where the sun would soon rise. She blinked groggily and dragged herself up from the sprawled supine position she had been lying in. Soft cool covers tangled itself around her arms and legs as she struggled, giving vicious tugs at the stubborn sheets.

She was back in the Aston mansion. How had she ended up here? Someone must've taken her home when she lost consciousness. Her hand flew to her neck but found it smooth and unmarked. She gave a sigh of relief.

Something caught her eye. She eased herself out of bed and pulled a papery note from under her brush. It read:

_Meet me tonight. Under the tree._

And signed at the bottom in a very lavishing scribble: _Van._

"Hitomi, you're finally awake!"

Hitomi snapped her head in the direction the voice had come from and brutally crushed the note inside her fist. It was only her dear beloved Millerna . . . dressed in a man's outfit. "Oh, dear."

"Get up, my lovely! It's time for another adventure."

"Now?"

"Yes! Hurry, time's a wasting." Millerna dashed across the room to Hitomi's wardrobe and flung some loose riding pants on the bed. A shirt came sailing a second after. "We've got a long way to go."

"Your father doesn't approve of Allen, does he?"

Millerna's energetic smile lost its beam as she slowly crossed over to Hitomi. "No . . . he doesn't."

_How unfortunate. _Hitomi fought the irresistible urge to ask Millerna why Allen wasn't suitable enough for her father and instead, reached over and hugged her. "Well, let's go then, shall we?"

"Yes, right, of course."

* * *

A/N: Oh by the way, did any of you happen to notice how Van and Allen greeted each other in chapter 1 but their relationship changed throughout the rest of the chapters? Many questions, indeed. 


	6. Twilight Storm

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: Ahhh! I love you all for reviewing! I'll keep the blabbering to a bare minimum this time. Lol. I don't know what ever possessed me to blab so much the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Near the end, I was strongly influenced by Tsubasa Chronicle – Song of Storm and Fire. It is clearly an outstanding piece by Yuki Kajiura I would highly recommend. If you listen to it and read the part where the italics end . . . oh man, the effect will just get to you. Lol. I hope that helps. Well, have an awesome reading, readers of mine!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Twilight Storm**

**

* * *

**

Millerna clung onto a thin, sturdy tree, refusing to move another step. "Don't you ever get tired?"

"What? This is supposed to be an adventure!" Hitomi hitched up her camping bag.

"Who in their right mind endlessly parades around like some crazed bunny? In case you haven't noticed, we're only human. We're supposed to get tired after a few hours of nonstop marching."

"That's the whole point! The human incapabilities are challenges to our adventure. Can't you just imagine the mystery, the genuine suspense as we discover a hidden body buried for centuries under that very tree you're standing at? Your heart will start to pound erratically until you feel it might just explode."

"You're making that up."

Hitomi gave a helpless shrug. "Who knows? I could be right."

Millerna stepped away from the tree. "Agh, maybe I shouldn't have taken you along."

Hitomi laughed. "Too late for that."

Something crinkled in her pocket. She stuck her hand in and pulled out the crushed wad of paper. Oh dear, she completely forgot about Van's little note. Well, she was going to have to disappoint him tonight and she had a feeling he would track her down like an animal if she didn't show up.

"Hurry up, Hitomi! We haven't got all day," Millerna called back to her.

Hitomi hastily caught up to her, but not before jamming the note back inside her pocket. Within the next few minutes, she completely forgot about it. Perhaps an hour and a half later—it seemed much shorter to Hitomi—Millerna demanded that they stop for a rest.

Hitomi unbuttoned her collar, letting the cool breeze dry the film of sweat around her neck. "Where are we going anyway?"

"I don't know," Millerna said half laughing, half quietly. "I just wanted to get away from home."

"You poor thing."

Hitomi stood up to comfort Millerna, but on her way her feet clumsily tripped over something hard. The next thing she knew she was sprawled on the ground with her face in the tufts of dewy grass. She heard Millerna run to her and help her sit up. Hitomi looked behind her to see what had caused her to stumble. A shiny object caught her eyes.

She went over to it and brushed away the loose dirt, revealing a large, heavy ring with an elegant embossed V or G or even both. It could have been pressed against hot wax to seal a private letter.

"What is it?" Millerna asked over Hitomi's shoulder.

"It's some sort of ring. It feels important."

Millerna traced the carved letter and handed it back to Hitomi. "Interesting."

Hitomi tucked it inside her pocket. "Let's see if there are more buried treasures."

Their excavation commenced with much enthusiasm, though the only tools they had with them were their hands. Digging just a tiny area was an agonizing process. Once in a while Hitomi would find a small pebble or marble and Millerna would end up with piles of broken twigs or useless coins. They stopped for lunch after washing their hands and fingers clean. As soon as that was over, they returned to their dedicated unearthing.

"Ugh," Hitomi huffed as she tossed a pebble over her head. "I don't think we're going to find anything at this rate."

"I agree," Millerna groaned. "This is killing my back."

"It's getting late, Millerna."

"So fast, huh? One moment we were sweating away under the sun and the next, it's disappearing over the horizon. Father is going to be furious with us, isn't he?"

Hitomi nodded with a sinking feeling. They had never been gone for such a long period of time before. It was usually only for a few hours, 3 at the least. Hitomi hauled up her bag and slipped her arms through the straps. When Millerna was done packing up her things, they traced their steps back to the mansion. Some birds were still twittering to their neighbors up high in the branches of large oak trees. Hitomi thought she saw something moving under the dense moss covering the trunks and roots.

They bathed in the stream along the way, cleansing away the day's dirt and grime. In a way, it seemed to purify Hitomi's soul and temporarily wiped the memories of the last few days from her mind. She still couldn't get over the transforming girl. She thought she had lost her mind when she saw the cat morphing into a girl. Where was the sense in that? How was it possible for the cells to mutate like that? It scared her, bringing into reality something she could only dream of.

That night they camped under a tree not far from the mansion at all. If Hitomi had to guess, the distance was probably no more than half a mile! Hitomi climbed into her makeshift bed and pulled the blankets tight around her. She gazed at Millerna's streaming golden locks. "What are we doing out here, Millerna?"

Millerna turned on her side to face her. "I . . . I'm afraid of what I might find when I come home. I don't want to see another man Father has picked out for me. Allen is . . . so perfect. I don't think anyone can compare to him."

In the darkness, brightened only by the soft glow the moon cast, Hitomi glimpsed a sparkling tear trickle down Millerna's fair cheek. Allen and Millerna didn't know each other that long but Millerna was already in love. Would she, Hitomi, ever find someone to love so dearly?

Soon, lulled by Millerna's slow, even breathing, Hitomi fell asleep. She woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. A heavy, unbidden presence hung in the air. It closed in around her, suffocating her. She peered around the tent, looking for a lurking shadow creeping around. When she was sure it was safe, she went stepped outside and sealed the flap doors.

"When I asked you to meet me under the tree, I didn't expect you to go to such provisions."

Hitomi jumped. She hadn't expected anything to happen. Heart still racing, she spotted Van perched up in the tree, back against the rough brown bark. A long, lean leg dangled casually down the side of the branch. There was something different about him tonight. A faint flush tinted his marble pale cheeks. Was he _glowing?_

"It wasn't intentional," she said defensively.

"Tell me about your day."

"I didn't know you were so interested in my life."

"Don't be so difficult. Come on, I'm all ears."

"Well . . . Millerna and I went on an adventure of our own."

"Really? And did you find anything?"

Hitomi shrugged. "Nothing very interesting, just an old ring."

Van stiffened a little. "A ring, you said . . . May I have a look at it?"

He helped her up the tree with surprising strength. He had made it seem so effortless, as if she was just a small child. When she gave the ring to him, his eyes seemed to soften for a brief moment. Suddenly, he thrust it back at her. "Here, take it."

She thought his reaction to it was very peculiar.

"Can I ask you something?"

Van gave her a wary look. "What is it?"

"Why is it that when you're angry, you don't do anything? I mean, last night when you were talking with Dilandau, you were so calm . . ."

He snapped off a twig. "I lose control when I'm angry and if I were you I wouldn't want to be there to see it."

"Why not?"

"You won't like it."

"How would you know?"

"Because I do."

"How? You can't predict my thoughts."

"You humans are so easy to predict."

"And you talk as if you weren't one."

She saw his jaws working. "Don't start a fight with me, Hitomi. It's not worth it."

For a while, only the sounds of singing cicadas and whispering leaves could be heard. Hitomi wanted to ask him about Merle but was afraid that what he'd tell her would only confirm her fears. She stole a glance it at him. His dark lashes stood out so intensely against his moonlight skin. She wanted to reach out and touch it. Instead she stared at her hands.

"What do you need to talk to me about anyway? And why at this hour. Wouldn't it look suspicious?"

"Hitomi, Hitomi, Hitomi," he sighed. "I have my reasons for doing all of this. I only ask that you accept them without a doubt. Can you do that, Hitomi, for me?"

She shifted against the tree. Part of the bark scratched her arm. She winced. "If you believe _so_ strongly in yourself, then I guess it won't do me any harm."

* * *

_What he would give to have kept her out of his mess. Did he truly blame himself? Yes, yes he did. Van's eyes lingered at Hitomi's red pendant. He had understood its importance to her and when she had given it to him, she was giving away a part of herself._

_He stared up at the crescent moon from the top of an old clock tower. He could hear the clicks and whirs of mechanics working in harmony together to tell time. Time . . . it would go on forever for him and what could he do but keep moving with it?_

"_You know, someone once said, 'Time is precious whether you live for an eternity or not.'"_

_Van looked over to see a tall, erect figure standing on the ledge of a low wall. The figure stepped down into the light and revealed the infamous long, black hair of a man Van would have liked to forget. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I just thought I'd give you a little visit." The Wolf stuffed his hands into his pockets. "How are the little runts doing?"_

_He grunted. "They're fine."_

"_I didn't think it could happen, but she changed my life, Van. It's hard to believe she's really gone."_

_He gave the Wolf a sidelong glance. "It's been over 70 years, Octavian."_

"_Really . . . I wouldn't have noticed."_

"_It's easy for you."_

"_Yes, I'm aware of that. You can only look ahead, Van. It doesn't hurt so much."_

"_I don't want to."_

_The Wolf gave a half laugh. "Say hello to her for me."_

_Van's head jerked up but the Wolf was already halfway across town. He couldn't bear to go to her grave right now, not even to say a simple hello. Just knowing that that was where her body lay to rest, it made him blind with anger. He had been exceptionally good at controlling his vehement feelings but these last couple of days . . . it felt like his whole body was on fire, ready to scorch anything in his path. Even his children. _

_Rione._

"_Forgive me."_

_

* * *

_

She stepped out of the carriage, careful not to trip over her dress. What had she been thinking when she agreed to do it? She must've been insane! As her hand rested on the carriage door, she felt Van's fingertips brush past them. She looked back and saw dark, bitter shadow cross his face. He gave her an encouraging nod and the carriage rolled away.

Hitomi brushed a soft lock away from her powdered face. She tried to act natural but everything she had on were things she wasn't used to wearing. Her lids were caked with maroon eyeshadow and she was sure her lashes would soon clump together. Van had insisted that a professional makeup artist do it for her and Hitomi almost died of a heart attack when she saw her reflection. No longer was the dull, conservative girl but a fiery temptress.

Someone opened the tinted glass door for her. Her heart gave a lurch as she entered the building. She could not believe Van had talked her into this. His face had seemed so serious when he had explained to her the reason why he wanted to talk to her last night.

"_We were able to find a lead from a trusted source. There is a private club in the richer section of the city owned by a very sneaky bossman. He is known as the Wolf, first and last name unknown. The only person who does know is himself alone. Be careful. Watch his eyes."_

Hitomi tried to pull the low cut dress higher to cover more of her chest but what did she expect? The dress clung to her body like a second skin and exposed a good amount of skin, which she was very unhappy about. Inside the expensive club was a haze of smoke and the scent of overpowering cologne. It made her dizzy. This was where the elite hung out. And of course, she had to look like she belonged there.

"_I need five minutes. Distract him for me," Van had said._

"_Where will you be?"_

"_I'll be sneaking into their office. They have something that'll help us."_

Hitomi's eyes burned from the acrid, suffocating atmosphere. She suppressed the urge to gag. All around men in expensive tailored suits were puffing away at rich smelling cigars, talking in loud raucous voice. Martini and champagne glasses clanged. In the center of it all was an expertly attired man. He looked to be six feet and well built. A gold ring glinted on his pinky.

But what struck her the most was his hair. It was long and blacker than black. It hung loose around his shoulders, giving him a wild look. His dark eyes gleamed wolfishly. The dark colors gave his skin a rather pale undertone.

A few of the seemingly superior females stopped in the midst of their gossip and gave Hitomi a quick once-over, nodding their approval. Hitomi wondered how they could stand it, dressing like whores.

"Come here," came the Wolf's clear words. He was grinning at her, displaying pearly white teeth. She swallowed as men parted for her to make her way up to him. "I've heard quite a bit about you. Words do spread like quicksilver."

She hid the trembling in her hand by placing it firmly on a waist defined by a choking corset, splaying finely manicured fingers. Feinting boredom, she slowly blinked dramatically darkened lashes and parted pouty rose-colored lips. The Wolf licked his lips and sat up straighter, eyes hungry. Hitomi's insides quivered with fear.

"I heard Van had a new playmate but I didn't think you'd be so exquisite." The Worlf exchanged looks with a man beside him. They both laughed at their inside joke.

_Exquisite! _She began to feel very queasy.

The Wolf motioned with an index finger. "Let me get a good look at you."

She hesitated at the steps but remembered Van had told her to walk with confidence. It took every ounce of her courage and even that wasn't very much. One of the Wolf's hands latched onto her arm and forced her to sit on his lap. He draped an arm on her waist, almost touching her behind. The other members in the club returned to what they had previously been doing but some continued to watch with sneaky grins. The Wolf's fingertips grazed her bare shoulder. She shuddered.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, kitten?"

The nerve of him to call her that! She tried to act as if it hadn't bothered her at all but she knew the Wolf had seen through her defenses. A soft touch and the strap of her dress fell down her arm. His hot, wet mouth clamped onto the round of her shoulder. She whimpered as she felt his tongue lick her skin. She squirmed under him, on the verge of tears.

Was it five minutes yet? It seemed an eternity ago. She felt so dirty . . . what would it take for the feeling to go away?

"Don't touch her."

His voice, so beautiful in this forsaken place. She felt like crying.

The Wolf looked up. "So you finally decided to show up. To save your little toy, yes?"

"She's not a toy."

"If you respect her so much to not consider her one, then why the hell did you allow her to dress like this?" He shoved a hand down her dress. She screamed. Tears clouded her vision.

A fist sailed past her. She heard a grunt and a frantic thrashing as something fell to the floor. When she wiped her eyes, she saw the Wolf lying on his back, a huge cut on his lip but he was grinning despite that.

Van gave Hitomi his hand to hold and she gratefully took it. She clung to him, sobbing quietly and trembling uncontrollably. "I told you not to touch her."

"I had to show you, Van," the Wolf said grimly. "If that was what it took to show you how to feel, I don't regret doing it."

Van didn't say anything. Instead he turned to Hitomi and placed a guiding hand against her spine. "Let's get you home."

He led her out into the awaiting carriage and she wordlessly climbed in. The ride home was disturbingly quiet. She didn't mind. She was too numb to say much.

"I'm so—"

"Did you get what you came for?" she interrupted quietly.

He nodded, slow and hesitant. "I'm sorry for putting you through that."

She shrugged, void of feelings.

"The Wolf must have been fond of you . . ."

His words came to her as a surprise. _Fond?_

"He must have been otherwise he would've raped you already."

The silence filled in again. She had been lucky. She had been so close to sharing the same fate as her mother. Her beautiful mother . . . who had been raped and killed by a band of ruthless thieves.

"It . . . it was horrible, Van. I hated myself for being so weak . . . I thought he was really going to do it."

Van gracefully leaned over and brushed his lips against her forehead. "Thank you," he whispered.

* * *


	7. The Gates of Heaven

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: I must apologize for the lengthy delay! Please forgive moi! Anyway, I don't think I ever gave so much thought and revision on one particular chapter as I have done for this one. It's quite amazing how much time I spent pouring over the darn thing. But I had a one heck of an awesome time and it blossomed into a beautiful flower through my meticulous effort, (in my opinion anyway lol.). Enjoy, readers of mine!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**The Gates of Heaven**

**

* * *

**

"Thank you . . ." he whispered.

Hitomi looked up, startled.

"For telling me how you felt." He leaned back against the seat. "Many take it for granted."

It surprised her how he noticed that sort of thing for being such a pigheaded moron. That reminded her of what the Wolf had said. "What did the Wolf mean when he said he had to show you how to feel?"

"It's not so easy for me to control my feelings, whether it is anger or sadness," he answered vaguely.

"So you hide it? When you hurt the Wolf . . . was that what you meant when you said you lose control? When you're angry?"

Van tensed. "No. You haven't seen me lose control yet."

She suddenly felt sorry for him. "Why? Why would you do that? Why would you keep your feelings inside?"

He held her gaze for a moment before looking out of the window. "It is because of what I am, Hitomi."

"What does it matter?" She grabbed his arm. A spark zapped her and instantly she let go. How she pitied him. "We all need to express how we feel, Van. It's how we've survived this long."

"You, maybe. But not me."

"You're wrong," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Hitomi."

The carriage had rolled to a stop in front of the mansion, and she knew she would get no more out of him tonight. "Goodnight."

She was glad to get out of the clothes she had come to loathe. She had a hard time scrubbing off the makeup and knew she succeeded when her skin turned red from the excessive rubbing. Hitomi tiptoed past Millern's room and into her own.

The next day, Van didn't come by or even send a message. Another day went by and he too didn't come. Hitomi didn't concern herself very much with his absence. He probably needed a break or something. Or he was busy with his work. But she did feel a little lonely. She had grown accustomed to being around him the past week.

She examined the strange ring again that evening. She wondered who its former owner was before it was lost. It's design peaked her curiosity. It clearly meant something to Van because why else would he have reacted the way he did upon seeing it? Perhaps Mr. Aston's library could help her find information about the ring.

Despite the fact that Mr. Aston occupied much of his time in the library, it still appeared unused. She could see millions of tiny particles floating in a ray of crimson sunlight beaming down from the high window. Her sneeze disrupted the hollow silence, ricocheting off the tall wood paneled walls.

There were so many books . . . where to start? She would have to take it slow if she wanted to be thorough. She randomly picked a shelf and pulled out the first book in the row. It was old and fragile. Its binding was nearly falling apart. She cautiously flipped through the yellow, faded pages. Nothing. She returned it to its original place. She went through the whole shelf, growing more frustrated with every book she put back.

A gentle breeze ruffled her hair. She was sure the window had been closed when she entered the library. Then, that dreadful feeling came again. Someone was there. She could feel his heavy presence. It felt familiar, almost like Van's except this one was less dangerous and more serene. Hitomi warily peered around the book shelf, gripping the polished wood tightly.

Sure enough, the window was wide open. The sheer curtains billowed gently back and forth. Swallowing her fears, she slowly and silently made her way to close the window, keeping her eyes peeled. Just as her fingers reached out, a forceful gust blew open the curtains. She gasped.

The angel gave off such a brilliant glow that she could not distinctly make out his face but if she squinted and moved a certain way she could see part of his mouth. Only his eyes could she see clearly, and they looked mournfully down at her with a sweet sadness. She felt the unexpected urge to cry for him without knowing why. His expression was just so broken, like he had lost something very dear to him and did not know how to find it again.

He stood openly before her, arms hanging vulnerably at his sides. Her eyes drank in his ethereal beauty, from the glittering raven hair to the milky, porcelain skin, to the somber smile playing on his finely chiseled mouth, and finally to the shapely, slender fingers. Such perfection.

His cool fingers brushed gently across her heated cheeks. She closed her eyes, feeling the feathery tough glide from her jaw and pausing at her lips. He gave a quiet, discontented sigh. Her eyes opened to find that he had gone, fluttering away with the breath of the wind.

Hitomi frowned. She wanted that calm, soothing feeling to last and she wanted to figure out the source of his grief. He had gone so abruptly that she wondered if she would ever see him again. The angel had left her in such a state that she did not particularly feel much like doing anything. She absently abandoned the search for the ring's history. Even Millerna normally comforting presence lacked the complacency to fill that void.

The following day neither a sign of Van nor the angel could be seen. Not until nearly a whole month had gone by did Van show up again. She wondered what caused him to delay their investigation for such a long period of time.

Hitomi was just finished showering and coming downstairs when Van entered the gallery. He seemed much the same as the night she last saw him. Maybe paler if that was even possible, and a rough, haggard shadow lurked behind his normally composed face. She stared at him as his presence filled the room. He strode past her without so much as a curt nod—as if to say that they would talk later.

Had she done something wrong?

Mr. Aston's booming voice drifted through from the next room. Van was saying something and then their voices rose and fell in fervent crescendos. Mr. Aston stormed out and stomped into his library, slamming the double doors shut with a satisfying bang. A minute later, a very calm and erect Van walked out.

"What happened?" she asked him.

A sly grin appeared. "I merely asked to regulate his business, but you know what a stubborn ass he is."

She laughed quietly, and asked a little too eagerly, "Where'd you go the whole week?"

"Did my absence leave you longing?" he said playfully. He suddenly seemed to be in a good mood.

She snorted. "No. I just thought we would be working on the missing item. We've been putting it off for a while." She had a feeling he was avoiding her question on purpose.

"Oh, how it breaks my heart to hear you say that. And here I thought you would've gone insane without me."

"_You're_ insane."

He turned serious again. "You may expect a week every month without me. I do have my own personal matters to attend to and I'd rather do it alone."

"I know."

"You do? Well, that makes it so much easier for me to tell you that we begin our little game again today. From the information I was able to obtain from the Wolf's main quarters, I discovered that the item has been passed down to a wealthy merchant down by the Palas port. Fortunately, he is going to hold a large banquet for his wife, who likes to consider herself the most beautiful women in all of Asturia. I won't say I don't disagree, but my opinion doesn't matter. It's going to be a week from now."

"You never told me what the missing item was. How am I supposed to know what to look for if I don't know what it looks like?"

Van tucked a lock of Hitomi's hair behind her ear. His cold fingers grazed the side of her face. "You don't. I'll find it."

"Then what the hell do you need me for?" she asked stubbornly.

"There are so many things you've done for me, Hitomi. You just need to look and understand."

"You, you frustrate me with you elusive answers!"

He laughed, a rich, musical sound. "And you frustrate me with your pensive questions. By the way, I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"Were you, by any chance, visited by a stranger?"

_A stranger . . . could he mean the angel? _He hadn't felt like a stranger to her. Van was looking hard at her, making it difficult for her to lie to him. She bit her lip in contemplation. "Y—yes, I think."

His gaze intensified. "Tell me, what did he look like?"

"He looked . . ." She couldn't explain. There were no words to express the heavenly beauty she witnessed. She peered sheepishly at him.

Van's lips pursed to a thin, straight line. "Stay away from him, Hitomi. He's not who you think he is."

"But he seemed harmless. I—How did you know the angel was a he?"

"I've seen him before too. It's not safe to be near him."

"He was so sad . . ."

"Just don't ever follow him."

"Why? Did he do something to you?"

He ignored her, his face set in a grim mask, and walked past her. The angel must have done something to Van in order to have made him this upset.

"Wait!" Hitomi cried and grabbed his arm. "He did, didn't he?"

He whirled around with such brute force that she smacked into him. She took a step back, hurt by his sudden violence. "I'm leaving now, Hitomi. I'll come by for you tomorrow," he said brusquely.

He continued on his way out, leaving the door open for someone else to shut. He made her feel as if _she_ had done something wrong to make him angry. Maybe, she had. Her eyes never left his retreating back until it was completely blocked from her sight by the carriage.

Millerna appeared beside the door, leaning delicately on the frame. "He's different," she remarked thoughtfully. "Allen, too."

Strangely, Hitomi agreed.

Hitomi slept fitfully that night, haunted by visions of the heartbroken angel and the angry Van. In her dream, a round, purple rimmed moon glared at her through the gray wisps of clouds. A raven cawed at her, mocking her. She was standing in the middle of a deserted, cobbled street. The wrought iron lamps no longer flickered with flames, adding to the eerie darkness. It must be past midnight since that was usually the time the city turned off all light to signal the end of day.

She saw the angel on the ground with chains looped around his entire body. His wings were painfully pinned to it. Long fingers curled around a cold metal link, infecting the innocent skin with its cruel hardness. She saw Van standing over the fallen man, a torn, caustic expression visible on his face. He held the end of the chain tightly in his fist.

"Stay back," he warned her.

"But the angel . . . he's hurt."

"That is none your concern. You must leave right now."

"This is wrong, Van!"

He smiled a distant, bitter smile. "It can't be helped, Hitomi. It's what must be done."

"But why?"

Van's eyes, so cold and harsh they pierced her soul. But they weren't angry at her. No, they were a reflection of himself . . . what he perceived himself as, what he despised, hated most about himself. But why would he take it out on the angelic being? _Is it because he was something Van could never be?_

The angel tugged weakly at Van's end of the chain. Hitomi started to help him but Van deliberately stood in her way, standing firmly with his legs planted apart.

"Why are you doing this?" she cried.

His grip slackened momentarily. "I . . . I am afraid of it," he said quietly. "Please don't make this any harder for me."

The chain in his hand drew taut as the angel managed to lift his head. He watched Hitomi with sad, tearful eyes. Van feared this poor creature? She saw nothing dangerous about it, only a profound, heart wrenching despair. Her throat thickened as she saw its eyes begin to fill with hot, bereaved tears that never managed to make it past the rims.

A muffled sound surfaced through the nightmarish dream.

"Wake up, little frog."

A warm hand smoothed back the locks covering her forehead. Hitomi's eyes snapped open. She had to blink several times to actually believe that it was Van who was sitting on her bed with one hand under his chin and the other still combing her hair. And had called her a frog! Well, a little frog but a frog nonetheless!

"Yahhh! You pervert!. How the hell did you get into my room!"

Van gracefully dodged a pillow she viciously pitched at him. "Millerna let me in."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes. "She wouldn't do that."

"Of course she would. Though, I had to tell her that I missed you so much my heart ached and wanted us to spend some quality time together."

"And she believed you?" she marveled incredulously.

"Not really," he admitted with a wicked grin. "However, after she saw what I brought you . . ."

He held it up for her and watched as Hitomi's eyes widened to the point where they might just have popped out of their sockets. He laughed heartily. "See? I gave one to her in case she didn't find me very convincing."

"I'm not surprised. Millerna adores anything beautiful."

"Maybe I should have given her the whole thing. You sure don't look grateful."

She pressed the enormous bouquet of full bloomed, wine red roses to her nose, sniffing the intoxicating scent of romance. Each flower bud was perfectly shaped. Not a single petal was bent or wilted, as if they were frozen in that position the moment they first bloomed under the radiant moonlight. The even tones of the rich, sage green stems accentuated the deep rubies and maroons of each individual foliage. She could drown in it forever.

"Don't suffocate them with your breath!" Van suddenly exclaimed.

Hitomi head shot up and shot daggers at him with her eyes. "I was going to thank you, you rotten pig!"

He chuckled, stretching his lean arms over him.

"Do I really sound like a frog?" she asked, scowling.

He grinned impishly at her. "Yes."

She smacked him good with her other pillow. He wrenched it from her and whacked her back just as hard, still smiling like a damn fool. Hitomi glowered at him. "You jerk. Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not nice to hit girls?"

"No one ever said you were a girl."

She gasped. "You're lucky I don't have a butcher knife with me right now."

That only made Van throw his head back, wild with laughter. "What an empty threat. Hitomi! How could you have been so careless?"

Hitomi looked around and saw the bouquet lying forlornly on the floor. Scores of petals lay crushed and bruised under the massacre. Several buds had rolled quite a fathomable distance from their fallen comrades. The roses must have taken a deadly blow when she or Van had been swinging the pillows around. Hitomi was absolutely sure it was his fault. They both stared mournfully down at it.

Hitomi jabbed a finger at Van. "How dare you accuse me!"

"Who else could have done it?"

"You're forgetting someone."

"Who could that be?"

She wanted to scream and slap some sense into him. "You're so stupid!"

"Geez, what's with that violent behavior," he observed with a coy smile.

"I give up." She sighed ruefully, picking up a petal. "What a shame. They were so pretty."

"And they cost me two hundred dollars."

"What!"

"I was kidding. It was more."

"That's expensive!"

"For you, maybe."

"Are you trying to say I'm not worth it?"

"Precisely."

"Hitomi! Breakfast is ready!" intruded Millerna's cheerful voice.

_Oh, Millerna! You have horrible timing._ Her sweet Millerna had saved that conniving bastard. Hitomi sighed, exasperated. She threw a sidelong glance at Van, who remained seated on her bed as if he had every right to. And he had the audacity to smirk at her after expelling that unlawful insult!

"I guess I should leave you to attend your morning toilette," he said charmingly. "And by the way, drop by my place in the afternoon. We're going on a little adventure of our own."

_Toillette?_ That was an OLD, old fashioned world. Hitomi didn't think anyone even used that word nowadays. In fact, she had only read about them in ancient books in Mr. Aston's library, depicting historical terms of century old lifestyles.

When Hitomi came downstairs after performing her morning necessities, she discovered that Van had already left for home. She breakfasted with Millerna, who bombarded her with embarrassing inquiries concerning what she and Van had done inside her room. Hitomi tried to keep a straight face while generating tales that were neither completely lies nor truths. And so the lazy, peaceful morning rolled by with astonishing speed, and Hitomi nearly howled at the thought of having to visit Van in the afternoon. But really, she just dreaded his peculiar on and off behavior.

"Hitomi, let's go to the park. I heard there was some sort of festival held there today," Millerna suggested out of the blue. She was sprawled gracefully on the lounger.

Hitomi was struck with a fantastic bolt of guilt. "Well, um . . . I sort of have other plans today . . ."

"Oh. It's all right. We can go some other time."

"I'm sorry, Millerna." She couldn't bring herself to meet Millerna's gaze.

"Don't worry. You go on and have fun! Besides, with you around I can hardly get anything done," laughed Millerna.

Even through the cheerful laughter, Hitomi could sense the rejection in her voice and debated whether she should go or not. What if, what if Mr. Aston planned another dinner for another suitor? She wouldn't be there to take Millerna away! And who knew the innumerable things Millerna would suffer? "Millerna, I—"

"Time is ticking! Don't you have somewhere you have to be?" Millerna smiled. "Don't forget your jacket."

That only made Hitomi's guilt greater than it already was. "Alright, I'll be going now. If your father brings home another man for you make sure he never enjoys a moment."

"Oh Hitomi, you deeply underestimate me."

They both laughed loudly. Hitomi was ushered out of the door and stuffed into an awaiting carriage that Van had so conveniently sent some time ago. Obviously, he did not want her to ditch their afternoon "date". It was much too early but Millerna had already seen the carriage and assumed Hitomi had to leave.

Hitomi arrived at Van's homely manor just as the bells in the city center gonged off the late hour of noon. She gathered the layers of petticoats in her fists as she made her way through the leaf blown walkway to the handsomely carved mahogany doors. She lifted the heavy, gold door knocker and listened for the sounds of footsteps. When she had not heard any for a while, she tried again with the same results.

"What a jerk. He expects me to come and this is how he greets me!" she muttered.

She knew she shouldn't but she did it anyway. Hitomi cautiously wrapped her hands around the thick handles, pressing her thumbs against the latch, and pushed. The heavy doors easily gave way and revealed the lavish interior. How careless of him to have left them unlocked. It was quiet inside. Where was his butler? Or maid? She took off her coat and hung it on the coat rack. A long, dark blue cloak was draped over one of the hooks. A guest must have occupied Van's attention as well as his house servants.

She heard the sounds of laughter erupt from one of the rooms inside. She was on the verge of sneaking over to it when a door suddenly opened and two men walked out. One was definitely Van. She could recognize that arrogant swagger of his anywhere. The other she too recognized. It was Allen. His silky blonde hair was a dead give away. What were they doing together? She had clearly seen the evident dislike they held for each other. Something was going on.

They must have been surprised to see her too because their laughs were cut short. Van and Allen exchanged looks—possibly they had been doing something very naughty, so naughty that they didn't want her to know. Van cleared his throat and went over to Hitomi, placing a hand under her elbow.

"Well, Hitomi, you're here quite early. Hoping to get me alone, eh?" he teased.

"I'll die before that ever happens." She yanked her arm from his grip.

Allen raised an amused eyebrow. "I see that I came at a bad time. Lovers do love to act violently toward one another."

Both Van and Hitomi threw him looks of horror only to feed Allen's apparent mirth. Van straightened his collar and ran a hand through his impossible hair. "Like they say, love comes in many different forms, right, Hitomi?"

"Uh, heh heh . . . right." She placed the tip of her finger on her chin. But what was Allen doing here? She had to get to the bottom of this. "I didn't know you two were on such friendly terms."

Allen's hands went up in a friendly surrender. "I guess you caught us."

"You always were too clever for your own good." Van sighed.

"I want to know what's going on. Something isn't right. You forced me into this mess and it's only fair that you tell me," Hitomi demanded, her heart pounding.

"In the end, we are all but pawns," he muttered. "All right. I'll tell you but in return you must keep it to yourself. Tell no one of this. That includes Millerna."

To keep it from Millerna! This would be the first time . . . she always had Millerna's absolute trust but to ask her to do this—it was almost unthinkable! Even so, she had no choice. "Okay."

"Let us be on our way then. I'll tell you on the ride over. Allen, you know what to do."

Allen nodded on his way out. Hitomi turned to Van with a puzzled expression on her face. _We're going somewhere?_

"You know what? It's lovely outside. Do you mind if we walk?" Van said amiably.

Ah! It would only stretch the time they would have to spend together! _Have no fear, Hitomi,_ she told herself. "Sure. It's not far where we're going, is it?"

"I'm positively sure it isn't."

What was that look on his face? There was no way she was going to believe him. She had to admit though as she stepped outside, the weather was delightful. The setting sun cast a soft, golden glow to the inhabitants below it. Hitomi inhaled the fresh, crisp scent of mother nature and lifted her face to catch the warmth of the rays. She fell into steps with Van, walking together under the bent arch of corresponding trees. The rich hues of bright golden red leaves—it was no wonder she fell in love with autumn.

Van reached over and held her hand. Hitomi flinched. "What do you think you're doing?"

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled sweetly at her, almost too innocently to actually be innocent. Some people walked by. "We're a couple, remember?"

Oh yea, she had forgotten. She groaned inwardly and gave in. Will this torture never end? "I'm waiting, Van. I hope it hasn't slipped your mind."

"Have some faith in me, woman! It hasn't. I'm just considering how to approach the subject."

An elderly man and his wife smiled excitedly at them, winking vigorously. Hitomi was almost afraid their eyes would end up twitching the rest of their lives. They seemed to have taken Van's words as meaning something entirely different. Hitomi shuddered.

"I thought we had been careful, but you have keen eyes, Hitomi," Van began slowly. "Allen is actually working with us. He had to assume the role of a stranger, someone I had never met. If people found out we were working together . . . that would create quite a problem. You see, I had to get Mr. Aston not to trust him but to trust me."

"Why you?"

"I had to get his cooperation. Without him, I would never have had the chance to get this far. He provided me with the tools I needed to track down Sora and her dealings. He has valuable connections here in Astura and through him I was able to obtain them too. Mr. Aston isn't aware of it yet, but I now control his vicinity. He was too busy chasing away Allen to notice the trap that Allen had lain for him. He doesn't know how dangerously he's tipping over the edge."

Hitomi wriggled her hand from his grip. There was more to this than he was letting on. "It started the day Allen step foot into the mansion! He mentioned things about vampires but Mr. Aston didn't believe him. You _knew_ he wouldn't believe it and knew he didn't like that kind of talk. That's why Mr. Aston didn't like him and favored you. It was all part of your plan. To throw everyone off. How far is this going to go?"

"As far as it needs to." He paused. "What was lost is very important to me. I cannot afford to let it fall into the wrong hands."

"Let me get something straight. What is Mr. Aston's role in this game? I don't see any real reason for him to be involved . . . unless, unless he's a diversion!"

"Very good," praised Van.

"I'm a diversion too, aren't I." It was a disquieting conclusion.

". . . Yes."

"So, you're trying to confuse the people that are in the conspiracy with Sora. You're trying to get them to make a mistake by trusting the wrong people."

Van nodded.

She was right. "I don't understand your situation with Sora, though. You said that she's in love with you but you seem to be the one in love with her."

He brought his hands to her face and caressed it. "Does that make you jealous?"

Dilandau had asked Van that! And she knew what her answer was going to be. "No."

"There's no need to be afraid. It is only the surface, Hitomi. I'm trying to manipulate her too."

"But you're giving the impression that you're cheating on me. Won't your partners see that as bad for business?"

"You have no idea, Hitomi. They are the kings and queens of infidelity. What is pretend for us is real for them. They seek people who will benefit them. Getting to the point . . . in her heart, Sora is seething with rage. It hurts her to see me with you but she conceals it very deeply. She doesn't want anyone to discover a weakness in her."

"If she hide it so deeply, how were you able to figure out that she's in love with you?"

His eyes twinkled with amusement. "You've got the mind of a detective, Hitomi. Well, there was an incident once where she accidentally let her guard down and it was just that tiny slip that told me everything. And that night when you first saw her, she acted foolishly. Her feelings showed clear as glass. Her rage is what will bring her and all her henchmen down. So for now, we have to stick together just a little longer until the source of it all falls and breaks."

"I feel sad for her," Hitomi said softly. "She can't help it if that's how she feels about you. No one can. You can't take her feelings for granted like that. She'll hurt for a long time."

"Trust me, little frog. It's best for us all to bring her down."

Hitomi found that hard to believe. Sora was beautiful beyond words, more lovely than perhaps a god. But she couldn't be as horrible as Van made her out to be . . . could he? Sure, Sora's very presence seemed to make every man lightheaded—and she knew it. Sora only had to lift a finger and they would follow her with a dewy–eyed puppy love. Just like Van had followed her so easily. Hitomi nearly gasped. _Is this jealousy I am feeling?_

_Don't be silly,_ she scolded fiercely. There was no way in hell she felt that way. She seized Van's hand and crushed it in hers. "Well, Van! If we're going to have to stick it together, we might as well have fun!"

"Ow, that hurt. Yes, that's the most intelligent thing you've said all day. There it is, Hitomi! We've arrived."

The sounds of shrieks and shrill laughter floated over to her ears. Light, melodious music soared into the air, spreading joy to all who heard. Her eyes lit up. A festival! Oh, Millerna . . . How could she, Hitomi, be so selfish? Millerna wanted to go with her but was unable to. _How can I ever make it up to her?_

"What's wrong?" asked Van.

"It's, it's nothing."

"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I'm sure whatever it is that's wrong will fix itself."

She looked up. Van was full of surprises. He was trying to cheer her up. Goodness, he was beautiful when he smiled like that. Was it possible for a man to be beautiful? _Beautiful? What the hell is this?_

He looped her arm around his, grinning from ear to ear. "Let's go!"

* * *

_He laughed. Ah, the carnival. He remembered that night well. He would have loved to experience it again. The floor board creaked. He turned away from the moon and glanced back into the dark room. "Come out here with me, Miji."_

_Miji appeared, bright eyed. "Wow! The moon's so big tonight."_

"_It is. You know what that means, Miji?"_

_She nodded solemnly. "The angel is going to appear soon. How many more days until the moon is full, Father?"_

"_Two."_

"_Wah! So soon." Her eyes glittered excitedly. "I can't wait."_

"_Rione is still in his room?"_

"_Yes."_

_Rione . . . my precious son. "I'll go talk to him."_

_Van knocked on Rione's closed door. Silence greeted him back. He sighed and turned the brass knob, maneuvering the latch that kept the door locked. "Rione, come outside with us."_

_He saw Rione's small back turned to him. Van knew he wasn't sleeping. Rione made a slight movement. "Go away."_

_Van strode over to the bed and blinked his eyes in shock. _Rione, what have you done? _A mass of beautiful honey–golden locks lay in a wild mess on the white wrinkles sheets. He stared at his son's bald head. "Rione, why?"_

_Van heard a sniffle. "Go away."_

_Rione was still mad at him. _That's right. I was angry with him and said some things I didn't mean. But your hair, your beautiful hair. _He closed his eyes. _

"Go to your room, Rione! You too, Miji," Van yelled at them. He couldn't take it. Miji with Hitomi's lively spirit. Rione with her likeness.

"Father?" asked a wide-eyed Miji.

Rione's eyes filled. "What's wrong, Father?"

"Just go!"

Miji complied without question but Rione was harder to move. "I want to stay."

"No, Rione. Not tonight."

"Why?"

"Because you remind me too much of her! Your hair and eyes drive me crazy. Just get out of my sight, Rione!" Van knew the moment the words left his mouth he had made a mistake. Rione was the most sensitive. He heard Rione's door slam shut and heard the muffled cries. Van groaned and brought his hands to his face. "Help me, Hitomi. I can't do this alone."

_He knew the nearer the moon approached its full shape, the more his feelings would plague him. This was just one part of it._

_Van never was good at apologies, especially if he really meant it, but he would try anyway. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Rione's arm. "I'm sorry, Rione."_

_The sniffle grew louder, but Rione made no other response._

"_Forgive me for the things I said. Please, Rione." Van was close to tears himself. _Dammit, I was a fool to lose control. _He blinked them all away and caressed his son's cheek with the back of his fingers. "Please?"_

_Soft, warm arms closed around Van's waist. "Don't cry, Father . . . it makes me sad."_

_

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_


	8. Stars Will Fall

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: Hello! Thank you for reviewing and waiting so long for the next chapter. Enjoy, readers of mine!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Stars Will Fall**

**

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**

Hitomi darted forward, yanking Van along with her. "Where should we go?"

"How about the ferris wheel?" he suggested.

"F—ferris wheel?" stammered Hitomi.

Van raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights?"

Her face lost its pale contour. "Of course not!"

And she turned around, snatched his hand from lingering over a cotton candy stand and dragged him off to stand in the hideously long line.

"I imagine it is going to take a while," Van remarked.

"You're the one who wanted to go on it."

The woman in front of them giggled at the man beside her. Both had gorgeous, silky blonde hair. In fact, Hitomi thought they both looked oddly familiar.

"It's not nice to stare at people," Van's voice cut in from behind her.

She glared at him. "I was merely looking."

He sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder. "What are we going to do, Hitomi?"

Hitomi moved her shoulder away from him and looked him square in the eye. "About what?"

"About our relationship."

"I don't know. I don't see anything that we need to do."

"Have you ever had a lover?" he asked suddenly.

Hitomi froze. No, she never had but Van didn't have to know that. For some reason, she felt that she absolutely, could not—would not, let him know. It would mean total annihilation of her self esteem! Besides, he would most likely make fun of her which was something she did not want.

"Well?" he said curiously. He turned his body so he could look at her but she refused to have him do so. He bent his head down, his hands on her shoulders. "Aren't you going to tell me?"

She prized her dignity above all things and yet, why did she have to open her damn mouth? "No, I haven't and I'm proud of it!"

"Huh! I might have guessed that was the response you would give. And it's no wonder too," he added.

"No wonder what?"

"Nothing."

"What is it? If you're going to say something then say it."

"Little frog," he crooned as he clasped her hand and caressed it. "Did I make you mad?"

"Shut up, farting cow."

"Cow?" His head shot up in alarm. "If you must know, I prefer cats."

He sure was acting strange. Hitomi freed her hand from Van's pawing hands and crossed them in front of her. Beside her, Van was laughing quietly to himself. So he was only joking after all. Humph! He could laugh all he want. He could even laugh until he died. However, he seemed to have contained himself from exploding into a laughing bomb a moment later.

Van cleared his throat. "I'm enjoying this too much. Well now, to be fair you can ask me something in return."

She thought for a while, pondering precariously. "Have you done something you truly regretted?"

"What a serious question . . . I've made many mistakes in my life but I've never regret making them. But do hope I never come to regret anything." Van smoothed down his black coat. "Hitomi."

"Yes?"

He produced a red rose from behind his back and presented it to her with much flourish. "For you."

She was not sure what to say. This was completely unexpected. "Um, thank you."

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" he asked.

Hitomi stiffened. K-k-kiss him?

"Oh . . . that's right. You've never kissed anyone before. I suppose we could show our affection a little more."

"Yes, you've been saying that. Couldn't we show our affection in another way? As in me kicking you to show just how much I love you. I feel I'll get more satisfaction out of it."

"Even if I hit you in return?" he said incredulously.

"Yea, because I'll get to beat the living daylights out of you even more."

He laughed. "Unfortunately for you, Hitomi, I don't strive for that kind of relationship."

"Next in line!" shouted the ferris wheel operator.

Hitomi could not believe how fast the time went by. Time always seemed to fly whenever she was with Van. Van allowed her to get on the seat first and climbed in after her. The ferris wheel crew member checked that the door was tightly shut before moving their seat up to allow the next riders to climb in the corresponding seat.

"How convenient. We get our own private quarters."

"Don't you even think about it," Hitomi warned.

Van looked innocently at her as he stretched across the seat, smashing Hitomi on one end. "Me? How can this face be capable of such a thing?"

"You're pathetic."

"Yes, I know."

Hitomi stifled a laugh. "I don't know what to do with you."

Van slung an arm around her shoulder. "That's why you love me, right?"

"No." She struggled to keep her face straight and did her best to fling his arm off. "You're mighty touchy today."

"Oh, where is our intimacy! A little touch now and then wouldn't hurt, would it?"

She felt the blood rising to her cheeks. She did not want to be intimate with him right now. She was too busy calming the spasmodic beating of her heart. And being locked up in this little cubicle with him was not making it any easier. The cart gave a lurch as the ride launched into full swing, rising higher and higher. Hitomi's hand shot out and grabbed the nearest thing she could find, which happened to be Van's arm.

He grinned impulsively at her. "You _are_ afraid of heights."

She gulped and nodded.

Van scooted closer and whispered, "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

Hitomi's eyes slide over to his face but he was looking out of the window, now open to let in the cool, crisp breeze. Van's hand lay open on his knee. Haltingly, Hitomi curiously ran her fingers over the smooth, pale palm. His hand twitched and latched onto hers, holding it firmly but gently. His suddenness caught her by surprise.

"Let's stay like this for a while," said Van, smiling that rare smile of his.

She turned her head to look out the window. For a moment she forgot her fear of heights and leaned against the warm glass. "Wow, you can see everything from up here! It's so beautiful."

"It is."

"We don't even realize it but we take so many things for granted."

"You have no idea how true that is," Van whispered.

He reached over and tucked a strand of Hitomi's hair behind her ear, fingers lingering longer than necessary. His thumb brushed across her bottom lip as he lifted her chip up. Hitomi's heart pounded in her chest. She was sure Van could hear how loud it was. Van craned his neck and leaned in closer, his breath blowing softly. His perfectly carved lips curled into a smile. Did she want this?

Her head felt strangely light and clouded. She couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was his cool, intoxicating breath blowing on her lips. They trembled and her insides quivered.

Did she want him to kiss her?

Did she?

_Yes. _Hitomi closed her eyes.

"Hitomi! Up here!" yelled Millerna's happy voice.

Van dropped his head on her shoulder, letting out a soft laugh. "What horrific timing."

_Yes, what horrific timing. _But suppose . . . Millerna had done it on purpose! Hitomi looked up and saw Millerna waving down at them. Sitting next to her was Allen, who waved just as enthusiastically. The image of the couple when Hitomi was waiting in line suddenly flashed in her mind. She _knew_ there was something familiar about them. Hitomi's guilt was gone in an instant and was replaced by the joy she felt as she saw Millerna's brilliant smile beaming down at her. Millerna's face was flushed with a healthy glow. Hitomi's smile wavered.

"Van, answer me this."

"What is it?"

"Is Allen using her?"

Van seemed uncertain as to how to answer her. Hitomi waited patiently. He opened his mouth but closed it again. "I wouldn't put it that way . . ."

"Just answer me, dammit!"

He did not flinch at her outburst, calmly taking it in. "No."

"Good."

"I can see you concern yourself with her well being. After all, she did take you into her home."

"She's the closest person to me. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

The ride ended sooner than Hitomi had anticipated. She was hoping to catch a few words with Millerna but she and Allen had already went off on their own. Hitomi secretly wondered what troubles the two were up to. Evening had already settled in, making itself comfortable in the dark cloak it spread over the grounds and roots and forms of passing figures. Hitomi did not want to waste the night away and demanded that they go on all the rides.

Van heartily agreed. However, after three rides (the last one being a brain wrenching vertigo) Hitomi grasped her tummy in attempt not to throw up.

"Why . . . why didn't you stop me?" Hitomi uttered sickly, leaning over the rail.

"You seemed to be having so much fun I didn't want to disturb you," he answered rather too happily.

_Curse you!_ If she was feeling fine she'd knock his brains all the way to the next planet. Hitomi continued leaning on the railing for support, trying to regain her vitality. "I feel like I'm dying."

She took several deep breaths, feeling slightly better after each one. Van was seated at a bench, keeping an amused eye on her. He could have offered to help her over! Slowly and dizzily, she made her way to him, feeling as she might collapse any moment now. She swayed to the side, closing her eyes to rid herself of the nausea. She opened them just as Van caught her, her head bumping against his teeth. Something cut her.

"What the hell do you do, brush your teeth with a file?" she exclaimed jokingly. But inside, she was trembling. There was something wrong about this. Something wasn't right. She felt the thin cut on her forehead, felt the sticky wetness. She raised a shaky hand over her eyes to hide the fear.

"Sorry," he muttered as he hoisted her up on the bench. From the sound of his voice, he seemed stiff and tense as if holding himself back from an inborn urge. Van took off his coat and covered her. "Goodness, you don't even know your own limits."

He pulled her head down on his lap. "Take a nap. It'll help."

Obediently, her eyes closed of their own will. She struggled to keep them open but something seemed to be weighing them down, down. So heavy. Like a sinking ship pulled down by an anchor.

She didn't dream as she normally did but floated in a stream of wavering, transcending colors. She moved endlessly along its current, feeling once again a small, naive child. She was bathed in its warmth and caressed by its comfort, nurtured by the tender love of a mother. Van's voice called her out of the blurry dream.

"The fireworks are about to begin."

Hitomi slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, strangely refreshed. Van was holding an ice cream cone in each hand and held one out to her. She graciously accepted it, realizing just how hungry she was. The sky had taken on a deeper, darker blue than she last saw. How long had she been asleep?

She licked her ice cream, the rich, creamy texture melting on the tip of her tongue. She continued eating as her eyes followed the movement of the first firecracker. It exploded like thousands of distant gunshots into the sky, blooming into a flower of multicolored twinkling stars. She noticed too late that her scoop of vanilla ice cream had fallen off its cone onto Van's coat. She hoped he would not notice as she guiltily picked it up with her hand and threw it away. But she was wrong.

The look on Van's was devastatingly hilarious. "My coat! Where were your eyes, little frog?"

"They were admiring something worth my attention."

"Ah, well, I suppose you don't mind cleaning it for me?"

"I _do_ mind. You have maids to do your cleaning for you, don't you?"

He nodded. "But it's not the same. I would have you suffer for defiling my clothes."

"I did not _defile _it. It just got a little dirty."

"Same thing."

A succession of colorful explosions blocked their particularly heated discussion and probably saved them from further damaging their already fragile and fruitless relationship. Hitomi caught the figure of Millerna leaning against Allen on top of a bridge, hands around each other. She couldn't see if they were kissing.

"There they are," she said to Van. She ran up the bridge, careful to hide in the shadows. Van followed her.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he crouched next to her in a bush nearby.

"Shh," she whispered. Millerna was going to have her head if she ever found out Hitomi had seen them huddle and cuddle together like that. "I wonder if they're going to kiss."

"Knowing Allen, I say they won't."

"I say they will."

"I strongly disagree."

"I strongly agree!" she defended fervently. "No one can resist Millerna."

"I did."

"It's only because I was forced to be your girlfriend."

"Who's stopping me from taking Millerna right now?"

Hitomi could not believe she was having this conversation with him. She couldn't answer him because she knew she would lose the argument. She was too proud for that. Hitomi glanced back at the bridge and discovered that Allen and Millerna were no longer there. Where did they go?

"Waaargh!" growled/screeched/screamed something in her face.

Hitomi jumped a mile and would have made it down the bridge at 120 mph if she wasn't human. The thing laughed hysterically and stepped into the light. It was only Millerna, grinning with fierce triumph.

"It serves you right," she laughed.

Hitomi placed a hand over her heart. "Jeez, I think I lost thirty years of my life."

"Thirty years less for me to bear!" Van added cheerfully.

She shot him a dirty look. "It's not like we're going to marry."

"You never know."

Millerna suddenly leaned down and whispered low into Hitomi's ear. "He kissed me!" She clasped her hands behind her back, a huge smile planted on her beaming face, and ran down the curved path to Allen. She waved a goodbye to Hitomi as they both continued on their way. _To somewhere private_, Hitomi was sure.

"He wouldn't do anything to her, would he?"

Van gave her a look. "You sound like her mother. And no, I don't think he would but then again, who am I to judge?"

Hitomi sighed. "I'm just worried."

"Your dress is dirty."

"What?"

"Your dress. It's dirty."

Why did he care if it was? "It's just a little stain."

"Come, I'll take you home now."

"Are we going to walk?"

Van stood up and stretched, part of his shirt coming loose from its neat tuck in his slacks. "Nope. Besides, I can't walk around with that awful stain on my jacket."

"Who told you to cover me with it?"

"My conscience. I couldn't leave you to catch a cold, could I?

"You wouldn't care—"

But Van silenced her with a touch on the lips, soft and warm. His hand moved to the side of her face. "Let's stop this, shall we?"

He had kissed her . . . he had _stolen _her first kiss! But what was this feeling in her chest? It pulsed idly, stretched and soared. It A faint blush had risen to her cheeks. Hitomi's eyes flickered over to Van, who seem unaffected by what he had done. She wondered what he was thinking.

She knew what this feeling was. And she had feared it all her life. She had promised herself that she would never let it happen to her, but it did anyway. _Stupid, stupid, stupid . . ._

"Hitomi?"

She snapped back to her senses. Van had been talking to her but she hadn't heard what he had said. "Yes?"

"Are you going in or not?"

"Oh, sorry." She boarded the coach and as soon as Van was seated, the coach driver took off at lightning speed. "What's the hurry?"

But Van didn't seem to hear her. They arrived much sooner to his house faster than Hitomi had anticipated. She was sure the walk to the festival had been excruciating long.

Van's hand paused at the knob. "Would you like to come in?"

Hitomi did not know what to say. "Um, I don't know."

"In you go," he decided for her as he nudged her forward before closing the door behind him. "It's pretty late anyway. I'm sure Mr. Aston deserves a little reassurance."

By reassurance, Hitomi wasn't sure if he meant her safety or Mr. Aston's business. "Is this fine with you?"

"Yea. I have so many guest rooms I wouldn't even know if you were there."

A sudden flood of fear swept through her. If there were actually that many then what would happen if she got lost? Van would not even notice. "I could sleep on the couch."

At least it was somewhere she was familiar with.

"That wouldn't be a very good idea. Don't you trust me?"

"I do but . . . how will you know if I were to get lost?"

"I'll know. Sigmund will show you to your room now. Goodnight, Hitomi."

"Goodnight."

She lagged behind Van's butler, peering over her shoulder at Van as she climbed the velvety carpeted stairway. He grinned at her. Hitomi made a face. They walked down a long hall covered with oil paintings and stopped in front of a polished wooden door.

"This is your room, Miss Kanzaki. Just pull the string if you need our assistance and we will come to you. Have a good night, Miss Kanzaki."

"Thank you."

When she went in, she discovered what he meant by 'pull the string.' There was a tasseled golden cord by the bed. She found a simple cotton nightgown and pulled it on. Disappointment struck her. It wasn't very long, a few inches above her knee. She shrugged it off and climbed into the well attired bed. But she couldn't sleep. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the image of her head hitting Van's teeth came by to haunt her and over come the excitement she felt when he had kissed her.

Sometime in the night (or early morning?) she was suddenly jerked awake from her slumber. When had she drifted off to sleep? She didn't know what it was that woke her. Her ears strained to catch any sort of sound that might have done it. At first she did not hear anything but if she sat completely still, she could hear faint voices coming from some where outside of her room.

The unmistakable scent of adventure filled her nose and sent chills throughout her. Her curiosity was aroused and she just had to find out what was going on. She did feel a little scared. Scared of what she might find or what might find her. Hitomi couldn't decide whether to go back to sleep or follow the voices.

She knew then that even if she tried she would not be able to fall asleep again. Her brain was firing away with unanswered questions. Hitomi quietly slipped out of bed and cautiously walked to her door, careful not to disturb the wooden floors. Slowly and agonizingly, she turned the handle. A little more. A bit more. There.

Her breath quickened as she stepped out into the hall, gently shutting the door. The voices were comparably louder out here, though still faint. It was dark and unusually cold. Her eyes unconsciously widened, drinking in all the light it could. When they were finally adjusted, she could see the outline of the hallway but barely enough to feel her way. She followed the voices with deliberate wary and slowness. She rounded a corner and continued down.

Light was coming from one of the rooms about 20 feet down the hallway. For some reason, this reminded her of a horror movie she had once seen and never wanted to again. The girl was never seen again. Hitomi swallowed and took a step forward. She didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she began to feel a little lightheaded.

"Okay, Hitomi, calm down," she told herself.

Ages later she finally reached the door. She pressed her ear to the it, hoping that nothing terrifying was going to happen. She definitely recognized Van's voice and someone that sounded vaguely familiar . . . like the Wolf's. And another like Allen's.

"How did this happen?" the Wolf asked. Hitomi decided to name that voice 'the Wolf' and the other 'Allen'.

"I don't know! It just did," growled a frustrated Van. His voice sounded strange, deeper somehow.

"You know what this means, don't you. You cannot afford to make another mistake."

"I'm aware of that."

"I still don't see how you could've forgotten something as crucial as this."

Hitomi heard Van sigh. "She made it so easy to forget."

"Are you attached to her, my Prince?" the Wolf said gently.

"I don't know. She makes me feel almost human."

"They die so easily, don't they."

Allen said something Hitomi could not quite hear. She pressed against the door, her hands flat against the paneled wood. "We've been alive so long. I find it hard to believe sometimes."

Hitomi felt cold and sweaty. There was a lump at the bottom of her stomach, weighing her insides down and twisting them to its sure pleasure. She did not like the direction the conversation was going. The way they talked . . . it did not sound human. Her mind pleaded frantically to get away but her body remained glued in that position. She couldn't even bring herself to pull her ear away from the door.

"It's good she doesn't know," said the Wolf.

"It isn't too late," assured Allen. "You can still fix your mistake."

"It is too late. She's listening to us right now," Van uttered softly.

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	9. The Angel Weeps

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

A/N: I'm so sorry for taking such a long time to update! I've been quite busy lately. I hope I didn't make you guys suffer too much? (Secretly relishes the thought that I did at least make some of you guys suffer ahahahha) just kidding. I'm not that mean, but I truly was busy! Hopefully, I won't take so long in the future . . . (though it is possible lol) Anyway!

Thanks for reviewing! Much love to you all. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 9**

**The Angel Weeps**

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**

Hitomi gasped and her hands flew to her mouth as she yanked herself away from the door. How did he know? How? There was no way it was possible. She did not recall ever making a sound to give her away. Someone opened the door, flooding the hallway with the light from inside the room. It was the Wolf. What was _he _doing here?

"Come in. We won't bite," he added with a crooked grin.

Her eyes were opened so wide they might just fall out of their sockets. The Wolf gently closed the door behind her and stood in front of it as if expecting Hitomi to turn around and dash out. She peered at Allen, who was seated on the floor with his head propped on his arm. He smiled at her but she didn't return it. She was still recovering from theshock. Finally, she saw Van standing by the window, curtains drawn wide open. Fat rolls of dark rainclouds blanketed the sky, seeming almost too heavy to stay afloat. He turned to look at her.

At first, Hitomi stared and stared. And stared. She couldn't look away. She didn't know whether to scream or slap herself awake from this haunting dream. The Van standing before her was nothing like the Van she knew. This Van was so frighteningly beautiful. Even more so than the one she had just seen hours before. And this one reeked of havoc and danger. But, oh, he was so beautiful.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked her in a low, quiet voice. That was when she saw it. His canines had extended to their full length, marble white and glistening. So pointed, so sharp. Hitomi found it hard to breath. Her fears were coming to life. Her brain told her to run but her heart condemned her to stay.

Van remained by the window, eyes staring at the rent in the sky. The clouds had parted to reveal the glowing moon. It weighed in the sky with its pregnant fullness, illuminating the inhabitants underneath it. A red tinge shimmered around its rims. "You haven't seen the worst of it yet, Hitomi. But you will. You will feel the terror grip your heart and you will wish you never see it again."

She believed him. She believed every word that came out of his mouth. And for the first time she was truly afraid. "What, what will I see?"

Van suddenly sucked in his breath, balling his fists. He doubled over and gripped the blood red curtains, letting out a gasp.

"The first stage is initiating," murmured Allen.

"Get her out of here," Van growled.

"No! I want to stay!"

"Allen, get her out!"

Hitomi heard the seams rip. Allen and the Wolf's bodies grew rigid as if steeling themselves for a difficult task. Hitomi's eyes followed their movements and noted the looks they exchanged between themselves. She was caught in something she didn't belong to and yet, her human curiosity got the best of her. Her foot moved an inch forward, eager to see what was happening.

"It's best if you stay a distance away," warned the Wolf as he caught her arm and pulled her back with him. "It's not safe to be near him when he turns."

_Turn?_ Was he a werewolf? The moon was full . . . "Why? What will happen?"

"Please be quiet and don't move. It'll only make him more dangerous."

"Are you here to protect him?" she whispered with dry lips.

"No."

And that was all he would tell her. The Wolf crossed his arms and kept his gaze on Van, who was now on his knees, panting. They seemed to have forgotten she was still there, much to her delight. At first Hitomi thought Van was suffering from a heart attack but soon saw that she was wrong. An inhuman cry ripped through the air like the sound of a beast crying from the pain of a limb ruthlessly wrenched off. Hitomi's hands flew to her ears but the sound would not cease. Figures appeared out of nowhere and moved with a terribly graceful swiftness. So fast that they past her with a blur and a soft hum, the rapid movements of their bodies vibrating against the molecules around them.

One each grappled Van's arms and legs. One more straddled his waist, holding down his chest with both hands. So a total of five men—no, they were not men, definitely not. Nor were they the essence of purely evil demonic beings. They were impossibly fast and ghastly pale and there was only one explanation that fit the description. But . . . but they couldn't possibly be vampires, could they? Nonetheless, what her eyes saw should have been more than enough to convince her that they were.

"_You're too afraid to believe," _taunted a voice in her head.

"Wha—" Hitomi stopped herself from speaking aloud. How was it possible for someone else to be inside her head? She hesitated before mentally addressing the voice. _"Who are you?"_

The voice snickered, half amused and scornful. _"You met me once. At the park, remember? Let me remind you. There was a cat."_

Hitomi did remember and had completely forgotten, too afraid to remember. She blinked in shock. How cowardly of her. She let fear get the best of her. But she was only human. It was only natural to feel frightened. _"Merle."_

"_That's right."_

"_How are you able to talk to me like this?"_

"_Easy. I just do it."_

Hitomi frowned. It didn't make it any clearer but it was an honest answer at least._ "Can Van do it too?"_

"_Yes. Only he chooses not to. The stupid man who calls himself 'the Wolf' and Allen, too. They'd rather ask permission before subjecting anyone to it."_

"_What . . . are you, exactly? You were some sort of shape shifter the last time I saw."_

Merle sighed in Hitomi's mind. _"I was a dignified hybrid human/feline cross until my own cat sucked my blood. Van drank its blood and forgot to seal its life so it came back a bloodsucking creature. Critical traces of the 'venom' in Van's fangs were still circulating inside Momo so when she bit me, I was made into one of _his_ kind. So now I've been tainted, thrust into something I didn't ask for."_

She said it with evident contempt as though she despised vampires. Hitomi's eyes watered, having forgotten to blink throughout their conversation. _"What does his 'venom' contain?"_

"_Elements of his power, in a less concentrated form. Think of it as thick syrup that's been diluted with water so it's not as intensely sweet. You get it? Anyway, it grants immortality and immense beauty but not without a price. You become a restricted being. You no longer have the freedom to roam the day but live confined to the night. You are a new being, equipped with immeasurable strength. However, there is a weakness which you cannot control. You need the blood of a human to live."_

"_What's with that tone? You sound like you're mocking me." As if she thinks I'm one. But I'm not!_ Hitomi wondered where Merle was. Obviously she wasn't in the room. What was she doing here anyway?

"_Ironic, isn't it."_

"_What?"_

"_In exchange for blood, vampires stave off the risk of a severe overpopulation. In the end, humans and vampires need each other, though they cannot seem to get along. I don't get it though, but perhaps it's because I'm still 'young'. I haven't lived long enough to see it yet, I guess."_

More of Van's anguished cries filled the silence in the room. Each one penetrated Hitomi's soul. All she wanted was to run away from the heart-wrenching sounds. Van struggled and writhed under the vampires, trying to break free from their tight grasps. Their muscles bulged in an effort to keep him down.How strong he must be to make them grunt like that in their effort to restrain him.Van's back arched and he threw his head back against the thick carpet, the white of his eyes showing.

"_What's happening to him? Merle? Tell me! Merle!"_

But there was no response.

Hitomi wanted to scream in frustration. They all seemed reluctant to answer her inquiries. She was left in the dark with nothing to do but to continue watching with increasing horror and, strangely, sympathy. Van was suffering. She could tell by the way he ground his teeth or bit down on his lips, the blood trickling down the side of his mouth. And even in this horrific show of repulsiveness, his terrifying beauty remained unscathed.

"What—what happens if they let go?" Hitomi whispered, more to herself than to Allen.

"He will surely kill you."

Hitomi felt her heart drop down to her stomach as she gripped the skirt of her dress. Her heart was pounding so hard. "How do you know that?"

"Because, mademoiselle, he can smell the sweet, luring scent of your blood. He can hear it flowing into and out of your heart. It is like the coveted nectar of the immortal gods. It is calling to him. And it is driving him on the brink of insanity," the Wolf answered. He touched the vulnerable part of her neck. His mouth parted and Hitomi shrank away from him, afraid. But then he closed it again, a strand of his obsidian black hair falling across his face. "And it is within reach of him. That is why you can't be near him right now."

If the Wolf hadn't been there to stop her from running to Van, she would have been dead by now. Something like an annoying fly buzzed inside her head. She couldn't quite figure what it was. And then it came to her.

She remembered the night she had her first encounter with Van. She realized that he had not being trying to commit an indecent act but rather . . . he was trying to bite her! It all made sense now. He wasn't trying to seduce her (she had thought he was doing it in a highly peculiar way). Something must have prevented him from getting her because she recalled him making frustrated sounds in the back of his throat and trying again and again. And vaguely, at the night of Van's social, she was dimly aware that someone was trying to do something to her neck. It must have been Van. He must have failed again because her throat had remained unmarked when she awoke the next day.

He couldn't hurt her! Oh goodness, he couldn't hurt her at all. She felt so relieved she almost cried. But why? Her eyes returned once again to Van's tireless struggling. "How long is it going to last?"

Allen looked down at her and frowned. He must have remembered that she wasn't supposed to be there. He shrugged carelessly, as if he didn't give a damn if she was there or not. "It'll pass in a few minutes. He'll remain in this stage for the next several hours. He will be confined to this room until he reaches the second."

"Why is this happening to him? Why aren't you like that too?"

"It was a curse that was inflicted upon him."

"A curse?"

"Even I don't know the details. You must ask him yourself."

Hitomi cringed at the thought of having to do that. She didn't want to provoke him for getting into his private matter. But she was curious though. She wanted to know everything about this curse. Was there a cure for it? This kind of suffering was unbearable. Just looking at him like that filled her with a trembling fear.

Gradually, Van's resistance crumbled. He lay motionless on the floor, breathing hard. The vampires slowly let go of him, watching him warily. Hitomi caught a hint of concern in their eyes but the look quickly vanished.

"Thank you, Valem . . . Kashti, Nicolai, Hugh . . . Damen. You may leave now," said the Wolf.

They nodded and exited the room in an elegant, noble manner, their shoulders erect, their feet moving silently. They never uttered a word, accepting his gratitude in silence. What were they to Van? To Allen? To the Wolf? Were those . . . _men_, were they some sort of bodyguard? The Wolf and Allen turned to leave too.

"Where are you going?" she asked them.

"Out," was the Wolf's vague reply.

Allen paused at the doorway. "You should get some rest. It's been a long night."

"I—You can't just leave him like this!" What did she want? Her eyes flitted to Van's form. He looked so vulnerable, so different from the impulsive Van she had grown accustomed to. She couldn't bring herself to leave him. "I'd like to stay for a while."

He held open the door, as if inviting her to leave with them. "Once you stay you won't be able to leave. We have to lock the doors to keep him from attacking your kind."

The Wolf watched her with probing eyes. "Don't blame him if you get hurt."

"He can't hurt me."

"Not in the way you think."

"Are you certain of this? You can still leave now if you want," Allen asked.

She nodded. They left her feeling puzzled. _Not in the way I think?_

Hitomi heard the clack as Allen bolted the doors shut and felt a wave of fear wash over her. She remained rooted in her place by the leather sofa, unable to bring herself closer to Van. What if she was wrong? What if he did kill her? Hitomi saw his eyes slowly open and look around the room. When they landed on her, she nearly gasped at the bitter anger that burned so brightly in them. But the wildness about him had dissipated, so he almost seemed like his old self. Had the first stage gone?

"Did you enjoy what you saw?"

Hitomi shot him a look despite herself. She had no desire to provoke him after all that. "No. Of course I didn't! Why would you even ask me that?"

Van pushed himself up and leaned on his hands. A scornful smile marked his face. The fangs were still there, long and sharp. "I believe you have a few questions for me?"

Yes, yes she did. Like, why did the Wolf call him 'my Prince?' And, what the hell were they all doing together? Especially the Wolf. _The Wolf,_ for goodness' sake! She never expected to see him there . . . not after the last time she saw him, which happened to be the first. "Yes, I do. But I won't ask them now because I want to respect your privacy."

He laughed harshly. "What privacy? This _is_ my privacy. You were never supposed to see this. None of this was ever supposed to happen!"

"How long . . . how long did it take you to figure out I was listening?"

"Aren't you scared?" asked Van, ignoring the question.

What could she say? She was afraid. She was so scared she thought she might collapse on the floor. If she told him exactly how she felt, how would he react? Would he be offended? Would he do something inexplicable? But she had every _right_ to be scared.

Hitomi stepped toward him. "I—"

"Don't. Don't come near me."

She was shocked by the hard, scared expression on his face. It made her curious. How ironic that he should be the one who was frightened. "You don't have to worry, Van. You can't hurt me."

"Are you so sure?" he said half mockingly and half seriously. "I won't be able to control myself once I taste even a lick of your blood."

"I know." She took another step.

"Stop it! Stay back, Hitomi."

Another step. Van raised himself to his feet, using the arm of the sofa as a means of support. "If you value your life you will listen to me.

"Don't be silly, Van."

"I'm not," he growled.

She caught him just as his legs gave way. She staggered under his weight, unused to having to carrying a half-conscious (not to mention 'dead') being. His face was pressed against her shoulder and his arms hung loosely around her neck.

"Why didn't you leave," he said softly.

She should have been so completely terrified but all she felt was a tremor of fear. She should have run away while she still had the chance. But she didn't and prayed that she would not come to regret it. "It's gets lonely, doesn't it?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me, Van."

He maintained a stubborn expression. "I wasn't lying. I'm used to it and therefore, I don't feel lonely."

"What you experience . . . it must happen quite often then."

Van was silent, his head resting on her chest. It felt strange to feel such a power over him. She had never seen him so weakened except perhaps the night she first met him. He looked very weak then and he looked very weak now. His fingers reached to feel the pulse under her neck and gently pressed against it.

"Hitomi . . . I'm so hungry," he whispered wearily. His hair clung to his sweaty face and Hitomi brushed them to the side. He licked her neck. Hitomi felt goosebumps rise where his warm saliva suddenly turned cold. His head fell back on her shoulder.

"Is it painful?"

"No."

That idiot. No matter how much he pretended she could feel the strain through his body. His body trembled every few seconds. "Van! You're lying again."

He smiled tiredly, a pointed tooth denting his lower lip. "You don't believe me?"

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Hitomi scowled. He was always so good at being evasive. Would it . . . would it hurt if she let him drink her blood? She was sure he would be able if she offered. Her body must have some sort of defense system to protect her from dangerous threats, but if she willingly let him her body would not recognize the signs of forceful danger. "Van . . ."

"What?"

She tucked her hair behind her ears and tilted her head. "Here. Drink."

A bewildered look came into his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I said you can drink from me."

Van's breath quickened. He licked his lips and extended his fangs. The fierce hunger in his eyes expressed just how dangerous he was. Hitomi watched in utter fascination, heart racing erratically. She wanted to capture that exotic beauty Van possessed. She was too mesmerized to truly be afraid. Then he pushed her away. "Don't be stupid. Are you so eager to die?"

"What? No! I was only going to give you a little bit."

He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. For some reason when he did that, she thought he seemed exhausted and . . . _old_. "Sometimes your naivety makes me laugh."

"At least I made an attempt to help you! I'd rather die than do nothing."

"Hmm," was all his said.

His eyes were closed and it looked as if he was about to sleep. Hitomi looked out the window and saw why. Soft pink streaks of light were filtering through the dense clouds, signaling the start of a new day. She yawned loudly. She could not believe she had been awake for that long. Van's head was tilted to the side in a way that seemed to enhance his incredible beauty. She fought the urge to pry his mouth open and examine his teeth to see just how sharp they were.

Hitomi impatiently awaited the arrival of Van's second stage. But she never did. In the midst of the lulling silence, she fell asleep. She almost kicked herself for doing so. There had been no one to keep her awake because Van had evidently decided to sleep. She dreamed that someone was gently stroking her hair with light, cool fingers. The feathery touches felt more real as she was pulled from her slumber. Her eyes slowly opened to a blinding whiteness. She blinked away the lingering sleep from her eyes but the drowsiness didn't leave. She gasped as the image in front of her blurred and cleared. Hovering over her was the angel. His eyes held the same acute sadness and the sad, gentle smile never left his face. Why was he appearing before her like this? And he looked so familiar . . .

"Go back to sleep, Hitomi," he whispered down to her.

She nodded for some reason and was once again enveloped in a world of darkness. Some where in the distance she heard a quiet sob and felt a wet splash land on her cheek.

* * *


	10. The Prelude

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N:** Hehehehehe... It has been quite a while, no? I didn't think it would take me this long to update (sincerely apologizes). And I won't be surprised if you've given up on me. I will admit, this is not one of my greatest chapters but I hope you like it all the same! Enjoy, readers of mine.

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**Chapter 10 **

**The Prelude**

* * *

The soft glow of the setting sun cast a gentle picturesque to the room. The curtains were slightly drawn, a small tear barely visible. Hitomi had awaken just a few minutes before the Wolf's cool, intimidating presence breached the light heat in the dwelling. He settled himself casually on the couch, fingers neatly folded over one of his knees, careful to sit where the light didn't touch him. His hair, so long and midnight blue against the languid pallor of his skin, fell heavily against his shoulders.

"Good evening, Madame Kanzaki,," he drawled, smiling rather wolfishly. His head was cocked to one side.

"Hello," Hitomi greeted him in a somewhat groggy voice. She was disappointed that it was not Van who had walked in, but _him_. Memories of her first encounter with him still left an impression on her.

"I presume that you are hungry? Of course you are," he answered delicately for her. He produced a tray (Hitomi had no idea where it came from) and set it on the table before him. "We were not sure what suited your taste but we hope you enjoy your dinner."

Hitomi stretched, feeling the tired muscles regain their energy. "Smells good."

The Wolf chuckled softly. "Compliments of Prince Van."

Her ears perked at Van's title. The Wolf had called Van prince yesterday too. She didn't see him as very princely but he certainly had a peculiar charm about him. _Too bad I didn't get to see his second stage_, she thought passively, recalling the frightening event.

The Wolf seemed to be studying her as she ate, much to her discomfort. What did he find so fascinating anyway? It was like a cat watching a mouse before it pounced on the poor thing and finished it for dinner.

"So," began Hitomi. The Wolf immediately gave her his attention. "Where is everyone?"

"The Master is still resting. He's tired from yesterday's . . . misfortune. And Allen, well, he is out hunting with his little friends. All work and no play makes Allen a dull boy." The Wolf winked at her, as if he had no care in the world whether she knew their secret or not. Hunting sounded like something only savage beasts did.

For the first time, she realized how quiet Van's home was. There was no sound to indicate other beings residing within the confined walls of an elegant housing. The random clinks of her cup or utensils against the crafted china plates sounded louder than they normally would. She began to wonder if anyone even lived here.

"Now that you've finished eating, we have some issues to discuss, no?" Hitomi sensed a faint, malicious aura emit from him. Perhaps it was her imagination but she couldn't entirely tell. He continued. "Normally, outsiders are forbidden to lay eyes on the phenomena that occurred last night. Humans are naturally weak to certain extents. Therefore, they have little tolerance for the bizarre, for lack of better words, unnatural transformation you witnessed."

He paused for a moment, as if contemplating the degree of offense he had just made toward Hitomi's kind. "I hope you understand that I'm not telling you this out of spite. It is not seen as normal to the humans and they shun it as the work of the devil. However, we've made an exception for your case. It was our Prince that convinced the rest of the pack to spare your life. We have played our part and now you must pay a price for the sacrifice we've made."

Hitomi had no idea how serious this was. Everything was happening so fast her brain had little time to process each and every thing that she experienced. She swallowed. "What do you want me to do?"

The Wolf circled behind her and leaned down toward her ear. "Ah, that is the question I was hoping you'd ask."

A slight shiver ran through her. The Wolf, in her eyes, appeared as a sly, conniving blackmailer.

"No one, Hitomi, no one is to ever hear of what you saw. We have eyes and ears where you least expect it. Should you breathe a single word to a single soul, we will see to it that you never utter another word again," he whispered softly. "I may appear threatening to you, but dear little one, I am only telling you this to protect you."

"If I was going to tell someone, I would've run away and done it already," she replied calmly, though her heart was racing. She could have left Van last night and blurt her story to any one who crossed her path. However, any sane person would regard her as a lunatic. Besides, who would believe her story? For all she knew, no one was even aware that vampires existed—at least that was what she thought.

The Wolf let out a rich, dark laugh. "I like the way you think, Hitomi."

"Quiet teasing her, you fool." Allen had suddenly emerged from the depths of the hallway without making the slightest sound. His pale translucent skin was flushed with a soft glow, giving him an almost healthy look. He had his hair tied back with a black ribbon.

Hitomi noticed that the Wolf and Allen seemed to be opposites of each other. They both had long, streaming hair, one black and the other the semblance of white. Their personalities reflected their light and dark contrast. The Wolf was the element of the coldest, darkest abyss. He was the bleak, frozen winter. Allen was another story. His presence filled the room with a rich fragrance of comfort, or rather a sense of natural ease.

"I wasn't teasing her. Just simply telling her what is expected of her after what we've gone through to save her," the Wolf smiled as he slowly traced the rim of Hitomi's empty wine glass.

Allen shook his head. "Telling her to keep her mouth shut will not be enough to protect her from the others. You do realize that, do you not?"

"Why isn't it good enough?" Hitomi asked, her hands clutching at her pendant.

"I'll tell you, Hitomi," came Van's soft voice from behind her. Hitomi turned around and saw a tired looking Van gazing back at her. She felt a soft blush rise to her face. He was adorned in a dark blood red robe neatly fitted on his lean frame.

"You should be in bed," Allen said pointedly.

The Wolf smirked. "If he's made it this far, he's perfectly fine to be up and around."

Van ignored the two of them and continued. "As I was about to say, it isn't good enough because they don't like it that a human, above all things, saw me that way. They want to keep the secret amongst our kind. But really, they're afraid."

Hitomi found this hard to believe. "Of what?"

Van's fingers graced her shoulder and his breath blew against her hair. "They're afraid the humans will come and kill me."

"But your strength alone can take on all of them."

"Ah, you don't understand. I am most vulnerable when I enter the second stage. I can't lay a finger on them. And somehow, the humans, they know this. They'll be the death of me." He smiled bitterly. The rich wine red color of the robe against his skin made him appear paler than he already was.

Now that she thought about it, she could see an air of elegance about him. But w hat sort of royal lineage did he have? Was it by blood or self proclamation?

"Well, what's going to happen to me now?" Hitomi asked bluntly, her words slicing into the settle silence like a knife through a block of butter. The question had been bothering her for quite some time since she had first woken up this morning. And she was anxious to get away from here. To leave behind the madness she witnessed.

Van's eyebrow raised in surprise. "Oh? You like things done nice and fast, huh. And I wasn't even finished with my adequately refined speech."

A slight heat rose to her cheeks. "No, it's not that. I just want to go home for a bit."

"Ah, my little one is homesick," Van concluded, smiling neither gently nor scornfully. He sat down next to her in a casual manner. "I'll escort you home in a little while. We still have matters to discuss."

"You will make sure that she doesn't mention a word of what she's seen, yes?" inquired the Wolf in a somewhat mocking tone.

"Octavian, you concern yourself too much for my sake," Van reprimanded lightly.

"It's only natural, my Prince. If you die, we all die."

They both laughed, sharing a knowledge only those of their kind held. They were a cult, sacred and feared. They were a league of men with abilities no human possessed. And they were a clan whose loyalty was almost impossible to sever. Hitomi saw no reason to laugh at what the Wolf had just said, but perhaps it was her inability to understand their circumstances that she could not comprehend the meaning behind it.

As promised, Hitomi was taken back to the Aston mansion after a relatively short discussion to ceritfy her final position in the dilemma. Mr. Aston appeared at the door with his brows crunched in mock anxiety and inquired what the bloody hell she was thinking staying out all night, although Hitomi was quite certain he only asked to impress upon Van that he was a fatherly figure.

Hitomi walked wearily up to her room and shut herself in there for the remainder of the evening, not even opening it when Millerna's tentative knocking invited her to do so. A soft rustle was heard and Millerna was gone. Hitomi did not intentionally mean to ignore her, but she was so wrapped up in the events of the past day that almost nothing could reach her—except Mr. Aston's bellowing voice from below. Yet, even that could not move her to leave her room.

She lay on the cotton sheets, buried in a soft cushion of velveteen. Moments before she left Van's carriage, he had kissed her hand and murmured in her ear, "Please think about it. That is all I'm asking."

With a soft groan, Hitomi sat up. What they had asked of her was unthinkable. It was unheard of! For gods' sake, she would be looked upon as a disgrace to society and she would be condemned, thrown out into the streets where she would grace the lives of others like her. And sadly, she knew, there wasn't much of a choice. If she refused, she would not have their protection. But if she agreed . . .

It was as if nature was laughing at her demise, watching her fight a battle she didn't ask for and watching her stubborn will erode.

"Hitomi?" came Millerna's voice once again for the third time. She rapped on the door gently, as if she was afraid something would come flying out at her if she knocked any harder.

Hitomi sighed. "Come in, Millerna."

"Ah, there you are. I was afraid you died or something," she entered, laughing. She sat down on Hitomi's bed and playfully smacked her with a pillow. "Now tell me what's wrong. You didn't come down for dinner and you didn't answer when I knocked earlier. You've been in here all night."

"I'm just tired," Hitomi lied, hoping Millerna would believe her. But knowing her, she wouldn't.

"Oh, really. Did something happen?" Millerna asked deliberately.

Hitomi bit her lip. She wasn't supposed to say anything but it was so hard keeping a secret from Millerna. "No, nothing happened."

Millerna frowned. "Then why didn't you come home last night? We—I was so worried. You didn't even leave a message."

"Well," began Hitomi, furiously working up a storm of lies. "We sort of got carried away last night and before I knew it, it was morning." She almost winced at how awful this lie was.

"What? Are you trying to say . . ." Millerna's eyes bulged and her mouth was slightly opened. "Hitomi, I didn't think this would ever happen to you."

"What are you talking about?" Hitomi then recalled what she previously said and almost slapped herself. _My God, what have I caused? I didn't intend for it to mean that way. _She seriously felt like drowning herself before it could get anymore complicted.

Despite that bit of scandal, Millerna grinned from ear to ear. "Underneath that innocence, I knew something else existed."

Hitomi almost laughed. "You have no idea."

* * *

**A/N: **Oh my goodness, you have no idea how many typos there are in here. (screams) Anyway, I'm planning to update again soon and hopefully when I say soon, it will be soon.

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	11. Reminiscence

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N: Hehe, I apologize once again for the long delay. And I warn you, the chapters won't be coming out quick anymore. It's going to take me some time but I'll finish this story . . . one day. Haha. I hope you like this chapter. It's not much, though. Thank you for your reviews.**

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**Chapter 11**

**Reminiscence**

* * *

"_What if we could bring Mommy back? I wanna hold Mommy's hand too," asked Miji, swinging Van's hand as she walked happily beside him. "Rione looks a lot like Mommy, doesn't he?"_

"_Shut up," snapped Rione._

_Miji stuck her tongue out at him. "It's true and you know it."_

"_Shut up, Miji," he repeated, his soft voice trembling._

_Van sighed and led them towards an ice cream truck. Even though they were vampires, the human side Van inherited from his mother and the human part of his children inherited from Hitomi enabled them to enjoy normal activities that humans found so much pleasure in. He bought them each a cone, green tea flavor because they knew it was Hitomi's favorite. And he himself...he wanted half of that and the other half with strawberry. Hitomi had always liked sharing her ice cream with him, always filling a bowl with half of each._

_Miji finished hers in a flash and hopped off toward the playground. A child nearby screeched as Miji landed beside him, demanding that he share his toy with her. Van laughed softly._

_Van noticed Rione slowly eating his ice cream. Something was wrong. Finally, Rione stopped eating and leaned against Van, burying his face in Van's sleeve. "I hate it when Miji says that," he said quietly._

"_I know you do." Van ruffled Rione's hair, now back to its original length. It had grown back several hours after he had cut it. Van knew it would but it was the meaning behind the severed hair that upset him. It was Rione's intention for cutting his beautiful locks. It hurt Van that his son would do such a thing._

_Rione stared out into the lush green scenery before them. "But I do wish we could see Mommy again."_

_Van was silent for a moment. "It's getting near, isn't it?"_

_Rione nodded._

_Miji came running, her face flushed and eyes bright. "Look, I brought something for you, Rione."_

"_What is it?"_

_From her pockets, she dropped onto Rione's lap several crushed cherry blossom petals. She smiled. "They're blooming, Rione. Let's go look at them because you like them so much, right?"_

"_Really?"_

"_Yea," she grinned. She held out her hand and waited for Rione to take it before they ran off together. The sounds of their footsteps could hardly be heard. Several decades of experience taught them to walk with a sort of endearing grace. An outsider would see the two children as God's innocent angels, but anyone with the sense of an animal would detect the dark aura that graced their shadows. And really, if this was truly believed, how were they able to cast shadows onto the cool concrete? Was it not according to myths that vampires did not possess such things as shadows?_

_From where Van stood, he watched his children chase after the new, familiar scent of cherry blossoms—Rione running slightly behind Miji's quick steps._

_He closed his eyes, savoring the sweet scent. It was only a light wisp but it brought Hitomi's face into his memory nonetheless. It always fascinated him to find that he could still remember her so clearly after all the years that passed him by. Perhaps, he would ask himself again when he had waited another century. Would the memory still remain as powerfully as it did now...?_

* * *

She was tormented by a storm of grief. For reasons unknown, a dull aching pulsed inside her chest. A terrible longing griped her as never before. And yet, a soothing hand was smoothing down her hair, whispering words of comfort in her ears. Soothing, yes, but also very cold. It felt as though it burned her cheeks with its icy coolness.

It felt so real. So marble smooth, so delicate. It made her heart pound.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," whispered a low, clear voice. "I want to give you something."

Hitomi stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes to a dark—and freezing—morning. Her curtain flapped in the gentle breeze. Who in the hell had opened it? A figure seemed to glow brilliantly in front of her. Seconds later, she discovered the figure belonged to none other than Van de Fanel. He grinned almost impulsively down at her.

Hitomi yanked her blanket tightly around her. "Why are you in my room? And why are my windows open?"

"Oh, how you hurt me so. Where is my 'good morning?'" He walked to her window and peered out. He looked back at her with the smile still on his face. "It's lovely, isn't it?"

"It's cold," she muttered.

"You're cold?" he said with a touch of concern tainting his lilting voice. "My beloved is cold?" He suddenly loomed over her and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck.

"Agh! What do you think you're doing?" She violently pushed him away until he finally relented to budge. She watched him as he went back to the window, laughing silently to himself. She shot a venomous look at him. "How did you get in anyway?"

"My, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today! To answer your question, Millerna allowed me permission to enter your room. She did seem a little strange. She mentioned something about wishing me good luck and then she winked at me. Now, would you happen to know any reasons why she was so unguarded as to let me come in so easily? She was quite reluctant the last time I tried to come in." His eyes flashed, as if he knew but wanted her to tell him anyway. He strode over to Hitomi and sat himself on her bed, a somewhat solemn expression now on his face. "You know, I came here with a purpose."

_Oh, no. Millerna thinks that we did it. Hitomi felt like sinking down into her bed and hiding herself under the blanket. Even if she was sure he didn't know what Millerna thought, it was embarrassing to think of. What if he really thought she actually wanted to do it with him? She couldn't even look at him without thinking about what she had said last night._

He touched his head against hers. "Won't you look at me?"

A rush of heat reached her face.

"You're so lovely when you wake up," he said softly, a lopsided grin appearing. He brought a hand to her face. "So flushed from the night's slumber with only the morning's chilling breath to cool the tender warmth away."

"Do you say this to everyone?" she asked just as softly.

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Why, yes of course—but only to special people, Hitomi. Only special people."

Just when she was beginning to like him a bit he had to go and say something like that. But there was honesty in that. It would have been a lie if he had told her it wasn't so. His powers of seduction were almost hard to resist. It was as if he knew every trick, every word, every way of capturing someone's senses without even a strain of effort. His wily confidence floated around him like a second shadow, trampling everyone else's in his wake.

"Close your eyes," said Van.

She did and waited. How long she waited she could not tell. For a few seconds, she had the feeling that she was completely alone in her room and that he'd left her to sit like a fool. But a faint scent reached her nose.

"Not yet. You can't open them yet," he teased.

Hitomi wondered why she trusted him so much like this. He wasn't even human. He could do anything to her . . . but this need to trust him overwhelmed her. He emitted this alluring aura that seemed to ask her to trust him because he had gotten this close to her. It was almost as if he craved her trust. And in some way he had reached out and grabbed a hold of it with an iron grip because she had already trusted him this far. He wasn't going to let it go so easily. What was the use of going back now anyway?

Van took her hand and slowly closed them around a thin, smooth stick like thing. Hitomi guessed it was the stem of a flower. As her index finger moved along the slick stem, a sharp pain jolted down her finger. A warm tongue licked her finger. She opened her eyes to see Van staring curiously at her, with her hand held palm up in his. A rose lay strangely heavily on her lap.

Finally, he spoke. "It's a different taste."

His comment startled her so much that she pulled her hand away from his grasp. "What do you mean by that?"

He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "I can't describe it but, like I said, it tastes different. I don't crave for more of it though."

"Is that a good thing?"

He laughed. "I suppose so."

Then, he leaned in close, smiling that crooked smile of his. His unmatched beauty was magnified by the clouded morning glow. Her heart beat faster. Come to think of it, she didn't mind being so close to him. She actually sort of liked it.

"You enjoy my company, don't you," he said coyly. His hand slowly reacher over and tucked a tuft of Hitomi's hair behind her ear.

He had discreet ways of making her shiver inside, ways in which she seemed to yearn for him like she had before. But underneath that finely chiseled face, was there really a human conscious lurking there in the shadows of his immortality? Hitomi studied his calm, expressionless face. Not a crease of impression marred his sculpted features. He looked so human.

"You have that look on your face," he pointed out rather bluntly.

She jerked her head. "What look?"

He leaned back and tilted his head. "It's a look telling me that you're doubting yourself. That you want to act without thinking but think without acting. You're being very indecisive, love. Anyway, I only meant to drop something off but instead I've stayed much longer than I originally intended. I'll be leaving now."

Hitomi stared down at the rose. He had meant to get on her good side with honeyed language and discreetly bribe her into agreeing to the terms that he and the other two had established. She didn't want to do it but she didn't really have much of a choice. If she did not agree, she would not receive their protection. And if she did . . . things would change. The things she dearly wished to remain the same would certainly change. But what was more valuable? Her life or the things she sentimentally valued? Of course she would choose her life but if the situation wasn't so grave she would willingly choose the latter.

Van squeezed her hand. "Please do think about it. I'll come everyday if I have to until you give me an answer."

After he left, Millerna rushed in with a beaming smile and an almost wild look in her eyes. "Did he propose to you?"

"What the devil made you think that?" Hitomi asked, a little bewildered. Her heart raced at how close Millerna's inquiry was.

"He looked so charming this morning with a red rose held elegantly in his hands. And after what you two did, I'm sure that would be the next step. I never imagined you would marry before me," she grinned. "I wonder what my father would say if he found out?"

"Found out what?" rumbled Mr. Aston's deep voice from behind Millerna.

Millerna's eyes darted to Hitomi and back to Mr. Aston. "Well . . . Father. I was just talking to Hitomi about a surprise we have for you. Isn't that right, Hitomi?"

"Yes, of course we were." Hitomi eyed Millerna, who smiled back at her.

Mr. Aston looked as if he didn't know whether he believed them or not. "And what is this surprise?"

"Oh, Father!" Millerna laughed, looping her arm around his. "If we told you now, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it?."

"Ah, yes. When are you going to show me this surprise?"

Millerna bit her lip and stared at Hitomi. Mr. Aston saw this and turned to Hitomi. "Well?"

Hitomi hesitated, "Um, well, we . . . uh—"

"How about tomorrow?" Mr. Aston suggested, a gleam almost reflecting in his eyes. "I'm having a gathering tomorrow at the house and I think I would like to see the surprise then. That isn't a problem, is it?"

Millerna flashed a dazzling smile, motioning with her eyes for Hitomi to look happy too. "Oh, no. It isn't. I think you're going to love it!"

"Well, then, it's settled. Tomorrow evening it is. Now excuse me. I have a little bit of business to attend to." Mr. Aston smiled at them before leaving the room. His loud footsteps left the marble floor exhaling loud thuds.

Hitomi waited until she was sure Mr. Aston was quite a distance away before she blurted, "Millerna! How are we going to get this 'surprise' for him?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "How do we always get into these messes?"

"Don't ask me," Hitomi muttered. They couldn't embarrass Millerna's father like that. Especially in front of all his business partners. He would probably put Hitomi under a torturous labor management to make up his lack of punishment for Millerna. Hitomi certainly didn't want that.

"Hitomi!" Millerna grabbed Hitomi by the arms. "You can get Van to help you!"

"What? You're crazy."

"He'll do anything for you, won't he? After last night . . ."

Hitomi felt herself redden. "Millerna, it's not like that."

"Don't be silly, of course it is. Now, don't forget to ask him for his help! I'll let him know you're coming over." Millerna dashed out of the room with light, soft steps, her dress swaying delicately from side to side.

Hitomi groaned and buried her head in her pillow, accidentally crushing the rose Van had given her.

* * *


	12. Virtuous Extortion

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N:** Hehe. At last, I present to you a long awaited chapter. I was having some technical difficulties but all is well now! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Things are getting juicy but the savory part is yet to come. Thank you for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Virtuous Extortion**

* * *

Van laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day you would come to me for help."

"Don't laugh! If I had any other choice I wouldn't even be here," Hitomi said stubbornly. She nervously twirled a thread fallen loose from its restricted confinements. Van's house seemed very much unchanged, but she had only been here the other night. It would certainly be absurd if it was changed beyond recognition in such a short amount of time.

"Oh? Does this house scare you so much?" he inquired gently. His flashing red eyes watched her as she avoided his gaze. She could feel them on her, so heavily drowning her with his attention.

Ah, he was referring to that night. That sacred, terrifying night. And no, she was not afraid of it. It was more like she was struck by its almost beautiful perception of endurance, a heart–wrenching phenomena Van was forced to endure. She wanted to know more. But most of all, she wanted to find out who the elusive angel was.

"Well, Hitomi, what can I do for you?" he inquired, clasping his hands over his knee.

She briefly explained to him the situation (and leaving out significant details) in which both she and Millerna were ever so unfortunately stuck in, occasionally glancing at him to see if his expression changed. She saw nothing except the brilliant color of iridescent eyes flickering like a candle's gentle flame, but the intensity of it nearly surpassed that of a great, breathing wild fire.

Van leaned back against the couch when Hitomi was finished. A small smile melted on the delicate features of his face, so small was the smile that it seemed discreet and almost shy. "Is that all? I would've thought by the frantic look on your face that something tragic had happened. But, if it causes you such despair, I will help you."

Htomi's hand shot out and squeezed his arm. "Thank you, Van. You can't imagine the gratitude I feel."

"But," he grinned. "You have to promise me the condition we agreed upon. I still haven't received your answer."

With a sudden swipe, the color from her face was drained away to a chalky white. Her heart seemed to plunge to the pit of her stomach. Yet even as it sank, it raced uncontrollably—from excitement or dread she could not tell. Was it really so necessary to go to such extremes?

In the dark code of unwritten law, an unsuspecting human was forbidden to possess such knowledge of all things undead. Such as one that Hitomi cradled in her mind. It was . . . wrong to let them know. It was especially wrong to let them in on something so jealously guarded by the coven itself.

"It's the only way I can protect you," he murmured softly in her ear. How had he managed to lean over the table without her noticing? There was no doubt about it. It was one of those numerous vampire skills she didn't and would never know and understand. "You know how dangerous it is for you to know this secret of mine. It's against the rules."

"I—I know that. The Wolf explained it to me."

Van's hand slid up her arm to the back of her neck, his breath grazing the skin. Then he kissed her, lips barely touching so that it felt he was barely there. She found herself learning forward. She felt his smile. "Then you will give me the answer I seek."

Hitomi held her breath. _Danger._ She sensed a great, terrifying evil so alluring it almost sucked her in. And what was more frightening was that she wanted it all the more. "Give me time."

"Time," he chuckled and fell back against the couch. "I have plenty of that. But I'm not so sure you do. You said Mr. Aston's gathering is today, am I correct? In several hours, I believe."

Hitomi stood up. "Couldn't I tell you after? I need more time!"

"I'm sorry, Hitomi, but we're in my house and so we play by my rules," he grinned from where he sat. He sipped from his glass of wine. "You must marry me or become one of us if you want my protection against the other vampires."

She hated his guts at the moment. Why couldn't he understand that she couldn't just cast her life aside and live a new one. It wasn't as easy as 1–2–3. "Isn't it forbidden for you to marry a human?"

"No," he smiled. "I am a child born of the bond forged between a subhuman and an undead. There is no law against it."

"Subhuman?" Hitomi said slowly. Such beings existed? And here she thought that humans were the only living beings with the ability to do things no other creatures could and with the intellectual capacity surpassing those of the other creatures as well.

Van set down his glass of wine as he rose from the couch. "Yes, subhuman. A term you've never heard before. But we'll discuss that some other time."

"But I'm completely human."

"Oh? You're absolutely certain of that?"

She frowned. "Of course I am."

"Some of us want so desperately to believe we are human and so it becomes our truth. And the danger in this is that we are unprepared for what we discover about our identities. How would you know if your father harbored a deep, dark secret locked away for eternity. Or if your mother bore the burden of an assumed identity? You don't." He paused, letting the words sink in. "I've seen the way this world works, Hitomi. I've roamed for centuries. There is nothing I haven't seen. Humans are incredibly delicate creatures. And nature programmed them with a self-defense mechanism to protect their fragile minds from shocks that would shatter them. Like a rose, Hitomi. It has thorns for a reason."

"What else am I supposed to believe in? All that I've seen have gone against what I was raised to believe. I don't want to lose what I have left," Hitomi stated, almost desperate in her attempts to reconcile herself. The memories of the past few weeks were nearly all just a blur to her now. Everything was happening too fast and it was finally catching up to her. So this was what Van was talking about. Her defense mechanism was finally cracking.

Through lazy, twinkling eyes, Van gave her a reassuring smile. "If you're so afraid of losing your beliefs, then believe in the present. We cannot have a future if there is no present. And what you see now is precious because time is short, is it not? The future isn't something you should fear, Hitomi."

He was right. It was her decision to make and she had to decide now. But she feared nonetheless. Would she still lead a normal life? Of course not. What was she thinking? She was talking about living with a household inhabited by the very things—beings—that could kill her. She looked to the darkening sky. With such force and attraction, these clouds gathered together and danced a furious song, calling and demanding attention. What gave them their veracity to perform with purposefulness?

Her eyes went back to Van, whose gaze never wavered, and said in a soft, hesitant voice, "What will happen to me if I become one of you."

"You will remain as you are now for an eternity," he replied readily. "Only incredibly powerful and much more beautiful. You will lack vulnerability except when the sun rises and when you rest in your chamber. You will kill each night to satisfy your thirst. And you will obey me until the day I die."

"And if I choose to marry you?"

He laughed. "That is another matter, Hitomi, which will be explained if you ever choose to do so. It is out code of conduct to keep it secret."

Eternal life. Phenomenal strength. Unmatched beauty. It was all very tempting these forbidden fruits of human limitations. She would have the time to do anything and everything she wanted without worrying that she could die at any moment. And physical beauty. Ah, the grandest of them all. Who didn't want everlasting youth and attractiveness?

But what of her other choice? Marriage to a creature neither human nor monster and eventually bear his children. She found that a little revolting. Van looked so human but what was he really? For all she knew, he was anything but! And yet, he possessed a tenderness about him. A sincerity that many of his victims probably fell prey to. Would she be one of them? Would she be seduced by this snake whose silvery voice would seduce her to eat of the forbidden fruit?

"But let me tell you this," he said in a low, alluring voice as he circled her, a hand on the curve of her shoulder. "I would rather have you as my wife than a subordinate. As your master, you will know me as a cruel, cold hearted man—no, as a beast thriving to satisfy his innate hunger. But as your husband, you shall find me a loving man."

She couldn't help it. She had to say it. "But you'll still have that . . . animal instinct in you. How can I be sure you won't kill me once I let my guard down?"

His eyes flashed and turned a darker hue as if a silken sheet had passed over them. He seemed hurt by what had been uttered out of her mouth. "You doubt me so?" he said in a soft voice. "But you are only human after all."

"Make me one of you," Hitomi said with finality. She stared at him long and hard, daring him to change her mind. Though her heart pounded violently in her ear, she wanted this. She wasn't sure if it was the right decision to make but it was full of possibilities. She would have endless nights to explore and to fill the calm, cooling air with the scent of her laughter.

Suddenly, he lunged at her and seized her arm with a terrible might that could break boulders. Hitomi let out a small whimper. He brought her close to him, nose nearly touching, and hissed, "Is this what you want? Is this how you want me to treat you?"

Words never made it past her lips. Her frightful eyes watched as his face contorted, the contours and slight hollows of his cheeks deepening as his mouth elongated. She heard the sound of his canines lengthening, a sickening sound that echoed in her ears. And yet, not once did his beauty falter. Rather, it seemed to be enhanced by these changes. Smooth skin like ivory brushed her face, her neck, and feather touches trailed lightly down her collar. With a quick flick of his finger, the nape of her long neck was exposed. She gasped softly and squeezed her eyes tightly.

This was it.

Hitomi waited, heart racing and the frequency of her breathing increasing with each passing second. Nothing happened.

Van threw back his head and laughed. "How silly of me. It can't be done."

For some reason, she felt relieved. "Why not?"

"Your body won't allow me. Don't you remember? Well, now . . . you have no other choice but to become my wife."

"But—"

"But what? You don't want my help? That's fine. There are other things I could be doing."

She glared at him. Who did he think he was? Playing these kinds of games with her. But what did she expect? He probably had everything his way for years. No one had probably dared to defy him for fear of provoking his wrath. Come to think of it, Hitomi had never really seen him in an angered state before. The closest she had come to witnessing it was during the dinner party where Dilandau had shown up as an uninvited guest. Even then, he didn't exactly let loose his fury. He had his business partners to think about. They would shun him for his carelessness and inability to control the situation in a gentile manner.

"Well?" Van peered at her with a bemused look on his face.

She bit her lip and forced them to move. "I . . ."

"You . . . what? I can't hear you."

"I'll do it," she said in a louder voice, avoiding his gaze.

He grinned. "Do what?"

She felt the sudden urge to yank her hair or do something to express her increasing frustration. She gritted her teeth instead. "I'll marry you."

"Ah, that's it. Wasn't too hard now, was it?"

Hitomi hadn't the heart to answer him. This overwhelming defeat crushed her, choked her like the raging waters of the crashing ocean waves. The weather seemed to complement her mood. A thick blanket of various greys crawled over the faint sunlight, suffocating the rays that struggled to breathe down upon the earth.

Van noticed her melancholy and said softly, "I've been unkind."

Occasionally, he seemed to revert back to the language of the older, more elegant days; a language of romance purely riveted by a passionate heart. She was quite taken by it. It was rather a gentle, lulling sweetness that softened her.

He looked like he was about to do something but changed his mind. "I promise, as I have never before, you will not regret it. It's time, Hitomi. Best if you return to Mr. Aston's house now."

As Hitomi rode back to the mansion, she wondered how many times he said those words of unspoken promises to other women. He had a lifetime and more to woo the world's population of females. But what could she do? She had no right to chain him down and coerce him to commit to only her. He was a free spirit. A wild, dangerous entity who roamed and hunted as he pleased.

Millerna was quick to greet her when she arrived. "Hitomi, what did he say?"

"He'll help us."

"That's fantastic. Now." Millerna grabbed her shoulders. "Early as it is, several of Father's guests have arrived and he wants you dressed before you meet them. I have a feeling he wants to find you a suitor."

Hitomi looked up in alarm. "What for?"

"Probably for profit. Hurry. I'll help you get dressed. And remember, make them hate you."

* * *


	13. Enigmatic Saunter

**Disclaimer:**The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N:** I'm afraid this may be the last update in a while. I started college not too long ago, but I will continue to write when I can. Thank you for faithfully reading and reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Enigmatic Saunter**

* * *

Hitomi sat elegantly against the lounge drinking noisily from her wine and yawning occasionally in the most barbaric manner with her mouth wide opened and uncovered. Since little could be done with her insanely short hair, Millerna swept it back, forming a sort of crown at the top. The poof was a nice touch to accentuate the jewels in her ear. The gentleman next to her was continuously blinking his eyes at her. Whether he intended to bat his eyes at her, as sultry women were often known for though she didn't know why he'd even think of doing it, or he had some uncontrollable nerves near his eyes she didn't know. Either way, she found it quite unsettling. And not to mention his overgrown mustache and beard, which he seemed to be quite fond of because he kept twitching his lips and then smirking before he tenderly touched them. This was followed by the constant blinking of the eyes. The cycle was endless. His way of coming onto to her did not suit her taste.

The young man next to him was rather attractive but seemed as stiff as a board. His posture was incredible. There was no hunch or slouch that could define him as a slob and the rigidness of his body only made him look more uncomfortable than he already was. He caught her staring at him and gave a hesitant smile before averting his gaze._Poor guy_, thought Hitomi.

The last one was the most intimidating. His head was a mass of unkempt hair casually and messily slicked back. He was leaning slightly back against the sofa, legs crossed in front of him. He reminded her of a jaguar for some reason. He held her gaze without blinking before smiling crookedly until she turned away and pretended to be disgusted. He seemed a little arrogant.

Mr. Aston was seated across from her with a giant smile plastered on his face. These men were exceptionally wealthy. There was no question why he had wanted to marry her off to one of them. But why not his own daughter? He should have prioritized his own flesh and blood before marrying someone else off. Perhaps he wanted to secure his finances should something happen. He would want his daughter to have the best of the best.

"I'm so glad the three of you could make it. You have no idea how it pleases me," said Mr. Aston in an oily voice as he clasped his hands over his knee but only managed to rest them on his protruding belly. It almost made Hitomi shudder.

"Are you cold, mademoiselle?" asked the young man with the blinking problem.

"Oh, no." She smiled and then suddenly roared with laughter.

He jumped in his seat and cleared his throat. "What is it that you find so humorous?"

"Nothing." She grinned, showing all her teeth. Then burst out laughing again. From the corner of her eye she saw him scoot a little further away from her.

"Oh, okay."

After that, he didn't speak a word and the nervous one kept his eyes glued to the wall while the calm one continued his lazy gaze. Mr. Aston glared at her but she pretended not to see.

"I hear a great deal about the ships overseas," prompted Hitomi.

The nervous one whipped his head at her. "Oh, yes. Those happen to be my ships. Business is swell these days."

"Ah, I see." She made a show of getting up and purposefully tripping so her fan would smack his face. It was all she could do to stifle her laughter. She let her jaw drop and exclaimed in a loud, theatric voice. "Oh, dear Lord! Are you alright?!"

His face was the color of cherry tomatoes. He had his hands clutched to the side of his face. "I'm fine. No need to worry about me. It was just an accident that can be easily forgiven."

Several times this little "accident" was repeated with him saying the same thing. He appeared to be growing ever more agitated until Hitomi began to see beads of sweat forming on his forehead. She decided he had had enough and he would no longer desire her as his wife. She didn't have to worry about the last one. He didn't seem very interested in her.

Mr. Aston shot her a look and pulled her aside, hissing, "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing, Mr. Aston," she replied innocently. "I'm just nervous, is all. I mean, who can be in the presence of such manly and handsome gentlemen without being nervous?"

She made sure to say the last few words loud enough for them to hear. The blinker and nervous one both straightened up, their spirit obvious renewed by this compliment. The jaguar remained unperturbed.

"You better calm your nerves then, young lady. These men are going to be your future. They are your gates of opportunity if you want to survive in this world," he continued his reprimanding. "I didn't stress myself over this for nothing. Make me proud, Hitomi. I'm counting on you."

She waited until he had his back turned before scowling. He only wanted her marriage to one of these men to reap in the benefits. If she made them happy, business would flourish for Mr. Aston. If she didn't, who knows where she would end up. It almost made the prospect of taking Van as her husband almost exhilarating.

By now many of the guests had already arrived, cluttering the lounge room with their heavily perfumed bodies. No doubt Sora would be among the honored guests that Mr. Aston had invited but Hitomi saw no sign of her yet. She would know when Sora arrived. Everyone always knew when Sora arrived. Mr. Aston examined the room, aware that the last of the guests had just entered the doors. But where were Van and Sora?

At that very moment, the doors opened and there was no doubt about it who would walk through.

Van strode in with the air of a king, the grace of a panther, and the perfect form of a dancer, smiling all the while as he let loose a rainfall of roses upon the guests. The lovely Sora was attached to his side, the smile of an elegant python plastered on her lips. What were they doing together? Hitomi hated to admit it but Sora could be the very semblance of a goddess. Behind them was a procession of richly clad figures. Pale though they were, their vibrant clothes made up for it. There were greens as vibrant as the new spring leaves and as rich as the leaves of rosemary. Splashes of blue the color of the sky and sapphire jewel could be seen among the sea of blood red gowns and crimson velvet. The sensuous hues of romantic purple and petal violet caught the eyes as the line continued down. Only he and Sora could cause such a commotion upon entering.

Hitomi wondered what Van was up to, bringing all these people. As she watched him lead them in, he turned his head and winked at her before tossing a rose at Millerna, who uttered a delighted gasp. Not to the mention the gasps of other females who too had received a rose from him. _That bastard._ Where was hers? Shouldn't she get one too since he displayed such passion to her not too long ago? Van caught her eyes and grinned. She felt the urge to throw the bowl of salad greens at his head.

Millerna leaned over. "Did he ever mention to you what exactly he was going to do to help us?"

Hitomi shook her head, surprised that she forgot to ask him. But she didn't feel worried for some reason.

It was a blessing in disguise that Mr. Aston's mansion was as big as it was or there wouldn't have been enough room to house everyone. Hitomi had no idea such a casual gathering could be so grand but then again she usually ran off with Millerna when there was one. This couldn't be a casual gathering. Something big was happening today and she knew why. Hitomi groaned to herself.

There were so many bodies moving about Hitomi found it hard not to bump into at least three people. Many were lounging in the living room eating little nibbles of appetizers carried around by the maids and butlers and engaging in the conversations. Many more were out in the patio enjoying the earliest of the autumn breeze. It wasn't quite chilly enough yet that everyone had to be stuffed inside the mansion. Once formalities were exchanged, Mr. Aston announced that dinner would begin promptly. They still had a few minutes.

Hitomi went to find Van and ask him what kind of surprise was in store for them. She found him in a small crowd laughing with his head thrown back, the black of his hair contrasting harshly against his pale skin. As he brought his head back up, he watched her with half-lidded eyes as she approach them.

"Well, well, what do you know, the mademoiselle has arrived," he said with a lopsided grin. "Everyone, you've met Hitomi before. And, Hitomi, you've met everyone."

The guests around him laughed in good humor and soon resumed the conversations they were carrying on before.

"So, what brings you to me?" he asked, still smiling.

Hitomi's eyes unconsciously scanned the room for Sora before going back to Van. "I was just curious about what the surprise was. Looks like you've brought in a whole circus."

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

Beautiful could hardly describe their appearances. Hitomi nodded. "Where is Sora?"

She had wanted to ask why he was here with her when she had been the one who stole his precious item—whatever it was—but that seemed rather rude.

"Hm?"

"Your date."

"Oh," he laughed softly. "How can Sora be my date when the one I adore is standing beside me?"

Hitomi blushed and looked away. "Really, Van, your flattering remarks are going to be the death of me some day."

He looked at her and grinned. "I think so, too."

She couldn't tell if he was joking or not but he had cleverly avoided answering her question. Before she could say another word, several of the butlers announced that dinner was to be served as soon as everyone was seated. She noticed that Allen and the Wolf were nowhere to be seen. Van didn't seem too concerned about the absence of their presence.

Dinner was a pleasant surprise in itself. Thick, creamy soups were served almost immediately. The aromas of fresh baked biscuits and roasted beef wafted into the air, their scents mingling together in complete harmony. Fried potato cubes arrived quickly out of the kitchen and onto clean white linen tablecloths and along with it came a cold spinach dip. The servers were careful to serve plates of crisp greens for those who were a bit guilty for having eaten too much grease. To finish it all, warm miniature custard tarts were brought out in large metal trays. The cook must have known it would be a popular dessert with the guests because he made more than what was needed to fill their bulging stomachs and satisfy their sweet tooth.

Van had dragged her to his table and made her sit next to him. Hitomi had spotted Sora at another table across from them only to receive a slightly scornful look from her. Hitomi was a little confused. She thought Sora would be angry or jealous that Hitomi was sitting beside Van. Hadn't they been former lovers?

He leaned over. "I believe it's time for the show to begin."

Hitomi looked at him as he rose, gently but firmly tapping his fork against the wineglass. The guests all turned their attention to him with looks of intrigue on their faces.

"Before I get to the point, I would like to thank Mr. Aston for the excellent meal tonight. It was quite delicious. The best I've had in a while. I'm sure you all agree with me?" Van waited as the clapping and hoots died down. "Now, as was anticipated, the surprise you have been waiting for is here. I would like to introduce to you my personal troupe. They are the finest dancers from the most prestigious schools I could find. I'm quite certain you won't be disappointed. I hope you enjoy their performance."

Van sat back down with a secretive smile on his lips as if he had all the confidence in the world. Wouldn't it be nice if Hitomi felt that way? But after witnessing the ambiguous events that occurred over the past weeks, she wasn't so sure anymore. How would she know if her mind was deceiving her or not? For all she knew, Van could be feeding her lies and she was foolishly gulping them down. However, she knew undoubtedly that that wasn't the occasion. The lights dimmed dramatically, except for several that focused on the center of the room where the dance was to take place.

The performance opened to a heart-wrenching violin solo accompanied minutes later by the low vibration of the cello. The dancers moved with such liquid movements – a grace that could hardly be described as human. They seemed too fast or too slow at some points but that was all gone in a blink of an eye. It was like staring at an optical illusion. The harder she strained to see those imperfections, the harder it was to locate them. The billowing costumes didn't help in any way either. They threw off her senses, creating what would seem like one thing but turning out to be something completely different.

It told the tale of two lovers. One a perfect criminal. The other an innocent. The passion bestowed upon the audience was incredible. Hitomi heard and saw the cries of women young and old. Hell, she was one of them. Even a few men were brave enough to shed a tear. The crowd roared and clapped with vigor at the end of the tragic performance, seeming to beg for an encore.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," Van bowed, grinning. "I'm beyond ecstatic to see how much you all loved it. Unfortunately, this will be their last performance in a while. Be grateful you lived to witness such profound greatness!"

Again, cheering and clapping followed his announcement. A few scattered groans of disappointment were heard across the room but the applause went on until the performers gave their bow and returned to their seats.

Mr. Aston stood up immediately as if he couldn't wait to announce whatever it was that he was going to say. Hitomi felt uneasy. He glanced quickly at her before speaking. "I would like to thank all of you for showing up today. For some of you, today is your lucky day. (Again, he looked at Hitomi.) Before I begin, I would like to introduce Mr. Bellcourt. A fine gentleman he is. Bred and born in the very waters of Asturia. Please stand up and give us your proposal."

Mr. Bellcourt raised himself from his seat, gave a slight bow, and looked directly out at the crowd. Then he stared down at Hitomi. "I would like to ask for Miss Kanzaki for her hand in marriage."

Hitomi's eyes widened in surprise. Hadn't he been the only one of the three who clearly expressed his disinterest in her? What was this? She looked over at Van, whose expression she normally couldn't read was now that of discreet anger. The guests all clapped and expressed their blessings but Hitomi could care less. She had no feelings for that man.

"Van," she began but he turned his head away. "Van, listen to me. I—"

"Come with me," he said abruptly. He seized her hand and nearly dragged her out of the house with the incredible strength he possessed. His grip seemed to tighten with each passing minute.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded. She would not be pulled along like a doll.

"You'll know when we get there," he replied coldly.

What right did he have to treat her this way? She would _not_ be treated like this. Hitomi struggled against his grasp, knowing it was quite useless but she continued anyway. "Let me go or I'll scream."

"Go ahead. You and I both know no one can stop me."

He was right. There was nothing she could do if he tried to kill her. She didn't want to think about it but she knew he could kill her any moment now. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to quiet her fiercely thumping heart. _Don't hurt me, Van._

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A/N: Oooooo! What's going to happen between Van and Hitomi! Stay tuned to find out. Muahaha. _  
_


	14. Severed Heart

**Disclaimer:**The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N: **In accordance to the reply made by a reader, I sincerely apologize if I offended anyone. I am not against gays or anything. You have only to say so and I will remove it. I was only keeping in "real" time with the setting of the story as to capture the social era of the time. My apologies once again, and thank you all for reading and reviewing! I'm sorry I took so long to update. Things kept piling up and before I knew it months had already gone by!

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**Chapter 14**

**Severed Heart**

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The mansion was in an uproar. How dare that man – handsome as he was, but how dare he, nonetheless, steal Mr. Belcourt's potential wife and humiliate him like that in front of everyone? Gasps and whispers were continuously exchanged from all across the tables. Such an improper conduct would have the whole town nosing about all week. A fair amount of time to spread the news either by mouth or by other means deemed as necessary.

"Stop!" Mr. Belcourt rose and blocked Van from leaving. "You do not treat a lady like that."

"Move," growled Van, eyes flashing dangerously. "I will have every bone in your body broken to pieces if you do not move."

Hitomi stared at Van, horrified that he would utter such atrocities. But she knew he would do it if Mr. Belcourt did not do as Van said. "Please, Mr. Belcourt. We are only leaving to discuss some matter of our concern."

He seemed rather reluctant but budged from his spot and allowed the two of them through. As Hitomi passed by him, she looked back and saw his eyes harden like steel – the cold, stormy color of his eyes. There was a kind of intensity there as if by their very nature they would freeze an opponent in one spot, unable to break away from the devastating gaze. And this was what held Hitomi's gaze for that fleeting moment when she crossed his path. She felt her breath catch in her throat and she had to struggle to look away.

Van appeared unaffected by the exchange of eye contact with Mr. Belcourt. In his hurry to escape the applauding guests and in his apparent anger, he had kept his eyes ahead of him looking only where he needed to. He walked a little faster now. Hitomi found it quite difficult to keep up with his pace.

"Van," she panted.

He continued as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"Van!" she repeated. "Slow down!"

He whipped his head to the side. "What?"

This time she managed to yank her arm from his iron grip. "I think we've gone far enough. Now, tell me what the devil has gotten into you?"

He smirked. "The devil is in me all right."

She ignored the remark. "What's wrong with you? I was trying to expl—"

"What is wrong with me? I should be asking you that. I had no idea you were frolicking with a Mr. Belcourt. You knew I was waiting for your answer and yet, you didn't tell me about him."

"I was _not_ frolicking with him! I barely even know him. I knew nothing of this until last night. There was no way I could've told you." Hitomi thought Van was overreacting and once again, she felt the flush of anger rise to her cheeks.

"You are angry with me," he said after a short, tense moment.

"Of course I am! I've done nothing wrong except become involved with you and your little trifles." The moment she said it, she wished she hadn't.

Van looked as cold as ice, perhaps even colder if it were possible. "If you regret it so much, you should have said something. I won't refuse you your freedom. You're free to leave."

"Thank you," she said angrily. And yet, why did it bother her so much that he was letting her go so easily? Before Van could change his mind, or rather before she changed hers, Hitomi turned her back to him and walked back to the mansion where the sounds of merry making reached her ears even from this distance. She sort of wished Van would suddenly run up to her and stop her from leaving, but violently tossed out that notion before it could develop any further. What was she thinking?!

"You don't know how much I hate you," she muttered under her breath, her eyes burning. As if the wind came to bring comfort to her, she felt a breeze brush past her and felt as if fingertips graced the side of her face. Van? Knowing it was impossible, she looked behind her. There was no one there.

Millerna rushed to Hitomi's side as soon as she saw her. "Hitomi, what happened? Where's Van?"

Hitomi patted Millerna's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. Some things came up so he had to leave early."

"I see," she said softly. Hitomi saw the disbelief in her eyes but ignored it. There were certain things Millerna was better off not knowing. She noticed that Van's entourage had already left the mansion and most of the guests had also taken their leave. Mr. Belcourt was seated casually on the couch, eyes drinking in the scenic room with its looming glass chandeliers and life size portraits. He gaze landed on her as she entered the room, unsure of what to do now. She scanned the tables for anything to drink. The escapade through the thicket had parched her throat.

"You're rather flushed," he said in a low voice.

"Well," she began, working up a story. "I thought I heard something behind me on my way back and so I made a run for it. As it turned out, it was nothing but a harmless crow."

He chuckled at her silliness. "And where is your chaperone?"

"If you must know, he isn't my chaperone," she replied rather sharply.

Mr. Belcourt raised an eyebrow. "Oh? It seemed so by the way he reacted to my proposal. I would've thought he was your father if he didn't look so young. And how strange that his skin is so pale."

Hitomi stopped her head from jerking up to look at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about. He looked fine to me."

"Perhaps it was just my imagination playing tricks on me." He smiled softly, eyes almost gentle. He would've looked almost angelic in that moment if it were not for his head slightly tilted to the side in an arrogant way. In the blink of an eye, the cocky smile returned.

She had to stop herself from making a face. "I believe you are the last guest to leave."

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked, challenging her.

Before she could answer, Mr. Aston interrupted. "Oh, no! Hitomi doesn't mean for you to leave. She was simply making an observation. You're welcome to stay as long as you please."

"You are so kind, Mr. Aston. I should be going soon, though. I've got another engagement to attend. We'll discuss the matter some other time, then?"

He stood up and left in a calm, serene manner as if the incident that occurred earlier had no affect on him. He seemed almost inhuman in that aspect. Perhaps it was this arrogance of his that allowed him to carry about such an air of confidence. And what was with this "matter"? It was like she was an issue written on parchment to be discussed! It felt like déjà vu all over again. Van and Mr. Aston had their friendly fire of blackmail where she was the bait. And now this.

Speaking of Van…what was she going to do with him now that their ties were severed? She knew his deep, dark secret and his clan of vampires were none too happy about it. His presence was what kept her safe from them but now that she had gone and made him angry, who was to say she was still safe? What was going to happen to her now? Hitomi bit her lip. How did she always manage to get herself into all this mess?

Mr. Aston looked up from sipping his tea. "I was rather surprised by Van's behavior today. Would you mind telling me what happened?"

Hitomi felt trapped under his gaze. It was not a request. It was a demand and if she did not answer, he would make sure she did. How many lies did she have to tell? "Van…was just concerned about what would happen to our, er, relationship if I were to marry Mr. Belcourt. He had planned on asking for my hand in marriage but Mr. Belcourt beat him to it."

"I see." He peered into the teacup. "I'm rather glad that he did. I didn't think Van was suitable for you at all."

What did it matter what he thought anyway? It wasn't like she was his daughter. He had no right to interfere with her personal affairs. Besides, Van was richer than he could possibly imagine. Wasn't that he wanted? To have connections with those who controlled an empire of finances. "What's wrong with Van?"

"Many things, my dear. He's manipulative. He'll do anything to get what he wants."

Mr. Aston had a point. Hadn't Van used Millerna against him so that Van could take Hitomi? Hadn't he lied to her about Allen and the Wolf? But that was necessary for part of his plans to work. Where did the line between the truth and the lies blend together? How was she to tell them apart? Most of all, who should she believe?

Those months of unnatural thrills were no longer going to take part of her life. She knew she could not go back to living as she had. She realized that the young woman she was before she met Van wasn't ever going to return. It amazed her the changes she had undergone within that amount of time.

And so, nearly a month went by. Hitomi tried to pick up the lifestyle she had with some difficulty. It was hard to get off her mind that she would never see Van again. He had disappeared from her life just like that and left an imprint in her memory. How selfish of him to leave like that without the simplest form of farewell. A goodbye would have been nice. A goodbye would have been enough. It would indicate that somewhere along the line, he did care about her.

Were all those times they spent together a part of his scheme to get back his stolen treasure? Did he ever think of her not merely as a pawn but as a person? Hitomi almost slapped herself in the face. Who was she kidding? He wasn't even human.

She sighed as she yanked vigorously at the strings that bound Millerna's perfect form in a tight cage.

Millerna turned her head to the side. "What's wrong, Hitomi?"

"It's nothing," she said softly. Among the difficulties was her relationship with Millerna. They had grown quite distant. Mr. Aston must have caused this rupture in their otherwise sisterly bond. He probably threatened Millerna with something.

Why separate them like this? They both had done no wrong. And if anyone was at fault, it was Hitomi because she brought Millerna into this – whatever the problem was. Did he think Van had set a bad example for Hitomi and she would then in turn influence Millerna? Turn his own daughter against him?

It hurt her terribly that they were unable to tell each other everything and anything. She had no one to turn to. No one to express the fear and anxiety that plagued her. But even then, she had promised Van she wouldn't tell anyone about them and especially about him. Why did she still keep her promise? Nothing had happened to her so far. Maybe they wanted to watch her writhed in fear so they could enjoy their kill even more? Who knew what sorts of perversions they elicited in?

Hitomi shook the idea from her head and concentrated on tying the ends together. "There, it's done."

"Thank you." Millerna turned around and briefly glanced at Hitomi with a pained expression before making her way out. Mr. Aston was standing by the doorway, observing their limited interactions. He smirked at Hitomi as he followed Millerna out. They were to attend a wedding for a bourgeoisie couple who wanted their powerful presence to witness their divine matrimony.

Hitomi glared at his back. At that moment, she really wanted to fling something at him and hope it would send him flying over the railing. Perhaps leave him a few broken bones so that he would live crippled until the day he died on his own.

She sighed. She was all alone in this rather busy mansion. Occupied as it was, she did not feel the presence of the other inhabitants. The maids and butler were all friendly to her but even then, they did 

not provide the companionship she desired. Hitomi let out another sigh. Millerna would not be back until late.

Hitomi busied herself by forcibly making the maids give her errands to do. She didn't realize how long it would take her to carry out the tasks. There was one in particular where she had to haggle with the old bakery woman who seemed to enjoy yelling and shouting at her customers. A middle aged man who sold vegetables liked to pinch at young women's curves. Hitomi was unfortunate enough to experience this. In a public place too! It was no wonder the maids always came home in a foul mood.

She returned in the evening with her hands full. The maids rushed to take the items they had requested and busied themselves with preparing dinner, more for themselves than anyone else. Mr. Aston and his daughter were gone for the night.

"Miss Kanzaki?" came a timid voice from behind her. It was one of the maids.

Hitomi turned around. "Yes?"

"If it's not too much trouble, would you mind picking something up from the apothecary for me? My baby is sick. I'm afraid to leave her side."

"I have time," Hitomi smiled. The maid gave her the name of the medicine and was about to hand Hitomi some money but she refused. "It's okay. I can pay for it."

The maid furiously thanked her before charging upstairs to where Hitomi could hear the wail of an infant. Hitomi wrapped a cloak around herself before setting out into the streets again. She gasped. It was particularly cold tonight. She picked up her pace in the hopes of warming herself and arriving there faster. It was a long walk to the apothecary.

Soon the sky began to darken, changing from the sultry amber evening to a deep sapphire night. There was hardly anyone out this late. Once in a while, she heard a twig snap and abruptly turned her head but she would see nothing. The ghostly breath of rustling leaves did not help to ease eerie atmosphere. As if to feed her imagination, a thick fog had settled all around the city. Hitomi bade her heart keep quiet and continued on. Eventually, she arrived at her destination, slightly flushed from the brisk walk. She knocked on the wooden door.

There was a shuffling of feet before the door was opened to reveal a long, white haired man. He was dressed in robes as if he had just gotten out of bed. Hitomi thought it was a bit early to be sleeping.

"What is it?" he said in a groggy voice, yawning.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but I need medicine for one of my maids' daughter," she said as politely as she could, hoping that he would take her manners into consideration.

He let out another huge yawn, not even bothering to cover his mouth this time. "Well, I am a doctor. Come in, dear."

He led her to the counter and made her wait there while he rummaged through the countless jars of various medicinal herbs. "It's dangerous for a young lady like you to be out this late."

"Actually, it's still quite ear—"

"When my sister was your age, my dear mother would never let her roam around at night. Dreadful thing. We suffered some terrible screams and broken china. Despite the awful tantrums she threw, our mother would not be swayed. I was rather fortunate I was born a male. I do enjoy the night air." He began crushing the herbs in a stone bowl. "You may have to wait a while. I was unable to prepare this beforehand with such short notice. Would you like something warm to drink? It's a cold night tonight."

"Yes, please," she replied. Though the smell of herbs wasn't all too pleasant, she felt rather at home. Perhaps it was because she was no longer under the haunting spell of night. She felt safe. As she drink her tea, the apothecary told her stories of the customers that came and went daily. Hitomi found some of their illnesses appalling while others fascinating.

Before long, he was done. He handed her the bottle. "Here you go. You must tell her to give her daughter only one spoonful every four to six hours. Anything more will be more harmful than helpful and any less will be ineffective."

"Thank you, doctor. I'll make sure to give her the directions." Hitomi took her coat off the rack and thanked him again. "I'll be going now. It's getting late."

"Be careful and good night," he called after her.

The cold air hit her like a punch in the stomach. She sucked in her breath and squeezed her arms together, carefully tucking the bottle in her pocket. When had it gotten so cold? If it was any colder, she wouldn't have been surprised if snow started falling. As she walked down the cobblestone sidewalk, she heard a strange whooshing come from above her. She looked up and caught a glimpse of a black streak.

Hitomi's heart pounded. Could it be…? Did they decide it was time to kill her? She hurried.

"_Hitomi!"_

The sound of her name exploded inside her head. The next thing she saw before she collapsed to the ground was a tall, cloaked figure flying down towards her. Then, the world went black.

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**A/N:** I know this chapter is a bit boring but it is preparation for the next chapter, which will, hopefully, be up soon! How exciting! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	15. Stitched Metamorphosis

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N:** Hello again. Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Here is another update, though much delayed but I'm working on it! I feel like this is another boring chapter but I promise it was done intentionally. I did not want to jump right into the exciting stuff or else you all would be so lost. I think it is better this way. Keep a look out for the next chapter!! There is going to be a lot of exciting events happening!

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**Chapter 15**

**Stitched Metamorphosis**

* * *

Hitomi uttered a groan as she slowly opened her eyes and rolled over on her side. She felt soft sheets under her fingers and suddenly sat up, remembering what had happened. She looked around the room. Evidently, it was still dark outside. Perhaps only a couple of hours had passed – or a couple of days! Where was she? How did she get here? Who kidnapped her? The questions just kept pouring in her head, becoming almost overwhelming. As she was about to get out of the bed she had been laying on, the door opened.

"Ah, glad to see you're awake," said Allen in a good-natured voice.

Hitomi froze. She was inside Van's home. What was going to happen to her now? "Why did you bring me here?"

He chuckled. "You don't have to look so scared. We're friends, aren't we, Hitomi?"

What sort of cruel joke was this? How could she not be scared under these circumstances? But even so, if they were going to kill her, why did they have to treat her as if nothing was wrong? How long were they going to prolong her death? Until she grew terrified of every footstep, every shadow, and every sound?!

Allen continued. "I admit. I am a bit shocked by your reaction to Van's call. I didn't expect you to pass out cold like that. Normally, this doesn't happen."

So, that was him. She thought Van had wanted nothing more to do with her? "What does he want with me?"

"Hitomi," he began before looking straight at her. "He needs you. More than you know."

"Why does he need me? If it's for the stolen treasure, we already agreed it was best that I stay out of it."

Allen shook his head. "It's not that." He seemed rather hesitant. "Something is wrong with him."

Without realizing it, Hitomi leaned forward. Had she heard correctly? "What do you mean, Allen?"

"None of us are quite sure. Tonight is when he changes but the behaviors he displayed for the past several days are abnormal. Usually, he becomes moody and irritable but he is now rampaging like a wounded animal. Just a few hours ago, he seemed as if he was agony and demanded that we bring you to him. He did not tell us the reason," Allen said quietly.

Hitomi bit her lip as she pondered the situation. She wondered if it was because he missed her. Perhaps the side of him that still possessed a human consciousness could remember how to love her. Love? No, not love. She almost laughed to herself and quickly abandoned the idea. Allen was looking at her now. "When does he wish to see me?"

He seemed deep in thought at first and then his eyes widened. "Now. Now! We've got to go now! Hold on tight."

Before she could register what was happening, Allen had a firm hold on her hand. He looked at her and grinned and without warning, sped out of the room. At first, it felt as if her body was thrown forward in some sort of distorted reality – as if she was present in another dimension. It was as if her body was not the object moving but rather time itself was slowed down even though she was well aware that they were moving faster than humanly possible. The speed at which he was travelling had her stomach fluttering and heart racing. She had no sense of direction of where they were heading as everything was just a flashing blur to her eyes. Once she caught a split second glimpse of an enormous painting on the wall. Had it not been for its size, Hitomi would've missed it completely.

Allen stopped so abruptly that she literally felt her soul, her essence, slam back into her body. She leaned against him in an attempt to calm her nerves. She admitted, it was a rather exhilarating experiencing and strangely liberating as well.

The door in front of them immediately flew open with a cracking thud against the wall. A pale Van emerged from the shadows of the room, panting slightly. "Leave us, Allen."

Allen hesitated. "Is it safe—"

"Leave us!" he growled. His fiery red eyes appeared illuminated against the dark background of what looked like his bedroom.

Hitomi felt a peculiar anxiety overcome her. This was not the Van she had expected to see. She had hoped Allen would stay with them as a sort of medium in case something should happen. Allen obeyed and left without another word.

"Come in," Van said in a gruff voice.

She stepped across the threshold that kept her safe into an unknown realm. She had never been inside his room and now it was too dark to see anything clearly. The only source of light came from the moon's 

milky radiance. She turned around and saw him staring intensely at her. That was when she saw the haggard expression on his face. He looked as if he hadn't slept in years.

He seemed to break out of his trance and leaned against his dresser. "You're finally here."

"Yes, I am," she said softly. How giddy, how elated she felt seeing him again despite the state he was in. That month's absence deprived her of this feeling. She felt almost eager like a puppy that has been let out to play. "How are you?"

He let out a harsh laugh. "Funny you should ask. What does it look like, Hitomi?"

"I'm being serious!"

He stepped closer. The smile now vanished from his carved lips. "I know."

Hitomi took a step back. He continued towards her, a look of desperation in his eyes. Hitomi was unsure of his intentions. She knew he couldn't harm her but even then, his presence was like the crackling thunder before a silent rainstorm. She felt the weight of it closing down on her and yet, so powerful, so daunting was this enigmatic character that she was bound to him against her will for reasons unknown."Van…"

He raised a hand and lightly brushed his fingers across her cheek before pulling them back. "I'm afraid to touch you, Hitomi. I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

She looked up at him. So close was the distance between them that she could feel the coolness emitting from his body. His breathing was no longer labored but gentle and slow. "You won't."

"How do you know?" he whispered, as if this lowered speech would render his incredible strength ineffective. "I'm so weary, Hitomi. But I cannot seem to rest."

She reached out and hesitated a bit before she mustered the courage to caress his face. He closed his eyes and sighed and let himself relax. But a second later, his body became rigid again.

"I can't," he cried. His face contorted as if in extreme pain. He dashed to the farthest corner away from her.

"Van, what's wrong?"

"It's happening. I'm changing," he grunted. He breathed loudly, teeth clenched together. "Get away. Get away from me, Hitomi!"

His eyes seem to say the opposite. There inside the pools of fired lurked a presence that longed for company. She suddenly realized it. He was alone. In this curse of his and in this kingdom of vampires. The others treated him as nothing more than royalty. The fact they wanted to kill her for learning his secret was evidence of that. Even friendship was limited to a certain extent. The Wolf wasn't so strict about crossing this threshold but Allen was another thing.

"Why," he panted as he gazed at her. His eyes blazed with a life of its own, dancing in its sphere of solitude. They almost seemed to swallow her as she stared back at him. "Why are you still here?"

Hitomi didn't know either. But she felt she could not bear to leave him to deal with this curse all alone.

Van was now on his knees with his hands pressed firmly against the floor. The pale luminescence of the moon set a soft glow against his alabaster skin. It was almost like a dream and she was watching a fragile flower fight against natural forces keeping it from budding. "You have—you have to stop me. I can't go outside. I'll hurt them. Many of them. They'll kill me."

That's right. She forgot it had taken several vampires to hold him down. What made her think she could do it? What was she supposed to do? She knew she had to act fast. Standing there could be the death of both of them.

"Leave me," he repeated in a ragged voice. His chest heaved as he curled into a ball, hugging his long, lean legs tightly with strained arms.

As if by instinct, Hitomi rushed to his side and managed to pry his fingers from his knees. He resisted her at first but eventually gave in as the curse grappled him in a black hole that seemed to suck his soul dry. Hitomi slipped her arms around him in a gesture of maternity and gently nudged his head toward her shoulder. In that final moment of weakness, he wept.

And Hitomi sat rocking him as a mother would her child.

She experienced for the first time a sense of calm melt throughout her whole being. What a gratifying feeling this was. Hitomi stroked his hair and kissed his forehead, relieving his suffering with any act of comfort she could provide. Van was latched onto her as if he feared she would disappear if he didn't. How long this went on she could not tell nor did she care. How terrible it must be to bear such a horrific curse. She felt emotionally drained to have to witness this tragic transformation again. There was a lingering weariness that seeped deep into her bones and rendered them almost useless.

"Hitomi?" Van whispered through dry lips.

She slowly opened her eyes. "Yes, Van?"

His eyes were still closed. "Stay with me."

"I'm still here."

"Good."

Hitomi almost laughed. He was as demanding as ever. He never seemed to think about what she wanted. If he wasn't holding on so tightly, she would've thrown him off. But still, it felt nice. She had no idea when she fell asleep but when she awoke, the sun had already crossed the sky and enveloped it in a late afternoon glow. She had a feeling the angel would come that night but it never did. Van did not progress into the second stage either. The one stage that had eluded her the last time.

A thin beam of light made it past the thick dark curtains and landed somewhere on the floor. This felt all too familiar. A déjà vu. She realized Van's arm was draped over her waist and was a bit alarmed. They had been moved onto the bed! She gently removed his arm and scooted a little farther away. A part of her was too stubborn to admit that it felt nice to be so close to him. So close that she could feel his breath against her neck when he exhaled in his slumber. A slight flush rose to her cheeks as her heart beat faster – just a tad.

Had this been Van's doing? She looked over at him and could not help but study the smooth skin stretched slightly over the highly define bone structure. It seemed like such a delicate membrane. His eyes suddenly opened. She instantly turned away, embarrassed that he had caught her starring at him.

"Do you like what you saw?" he grinned. He turned to his side and propped his head on his hand.

She frowned, still startled that he saw. "I wasn't looking at you."

"I never said you were looking at me."

Hitomi had the urge to glare at him but resisted with much vigor. "It's time for me to go, Van. Mr. Aston is going to wonder where I've been all night. Probably thinks I'm up to no good."

"Don't," he whispered as he caught her arm. "Don't leave me."

"You know I can't stay." She tried to move his hand but it would not budge.

"Why not?" He kissed her hand. "What makes you think we can't just get married now and live our lives the way we wish? He can't control you."

Indeed, that was a possibility. Risky but it could happen. Who knew the kind of life she would have if she married him or even Mr. Belcourt for that matter. They were two completely different beings in their own world. "But I am indebted to Mr. Aston. He took me in when I was desperately trying to survive on my own. I knew nothing of this city until I met him."

"Is that what's anchoring you to him? This gratitude you feel. How long are you going to suppress your freedom? What of the reasons that brought you to Asturia?"

All these questions penetrated her like bullets hitting their targets. The more he spoke, the more she was convinced. And she did not think it was such a terrible thing to marry him…only, how were they going to have children? But mostly, if she went with Van, she would be free to do as she pleased. She always had to be cautious under the constant watch of Mr. Aston and his household servants. And even with Millerna, there was a slight strain because if anything happened to his precious daughter, Hitomi would suffer the consequences.

"I love you, Hitomi. I want you to marry me," he said softly and looked at her. There was a deep set sincerity locked away in those auburn spheres that almost scared her. "I don't know what I would do without you."

She felt a tingling shiver run down her spine. When he spoke those words, she felt her heart would explode. This was unlike the first time he desired for her hand in marriage. It felt so much more liberating this time because he was revealing personal desires and affectations. It was rare of him to express so much of himself that he appeared vulnerable. It was almost exquisite, really.

He continued. "But I know that is for you to decide. This is a rather important and irreversible decision and once you agree, you cannot change your mind. There is a code of law that we have always followed and should it be disrupted in anyway, the other vampires are going to come after you. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to protect you from a horde of them. We do not fight in groups but individually. However, there are always exceptions in certain cases."

She had her mind set but he had to go and say that to her. It made her feel even more hesitant, but she knew it was for her own good that he did. What if something went wrong and she could not deal with it? It was as if this marriage would bind her body and soul to him for all eternity. She wasn't sure if this sort of imprisoned freedom was her ideal but it was better than living under Mr. Aston's control

She swallowed hard and whatever doubts she had. "Okay. I'll marry you, Van."

She knew the first time he had forced her to agree to marry him, she felt trapped and anxious. But now, she felt a strange relief and exhilaration. It was her own decision and she was beyond content. What it was to be free to choose what she wanted and didn't want.

He gave her a toothy grin and kissed her. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

Hitomi could not help the rising blush that tinted her face a soft, pretty glow. She thought she heard a hoot and howl from outside the room, but she could not be sure because Van was pressed so close against her she could not think straight. To think this incredibly beautiful creature was hers to keep was nearly overwhelming. And she was drinking in the sight, drinking and absorbing and no matter how deeply she fell, she could not get enough. Would she experience this drunken state every day of her life now?

She laughed aloud.

Van turned to her and smiled. "What is it?"

She returned the smile. "Nothing."

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	16. Entrenched Catacombs

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N:** Hello again! Here is another chapter. Surprised, are you not? This update took much less time than the previous ones. I actually like this chapter and hopefully, you all feel the same! Enjoy and thank you for reading and reviewing.

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**Chapter 16**

**Entrenched Catacombs**

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Hitomi had never been pampered so much in her life. Although they were not human, the female helpers treated her with such gentleness that it surprised her. It was as if they were afraid she was going to break into pieces if they applied any sort of pressure. Their fingers were like the light brush of a feather against her skin as they helped her into an evening gown of rich wine red. She couldn't understand why their help was necessary at all. She wasn't some helpless, brainless human but they had insisted that they do. She was sure Van had something to do with this. The only person who had ever waited on her was Millerna but even then, Millerna had only helped her dress up on certain occasions.

The thought of Millerna had Hitomi thinking about how she was doing back at the mansion. Perhaps she should write a letter. She went to the drawer and pulled out a sheet of thick paper and a fancy pen. But as she sat there in her simple, silky gown, she could not come up with anything. It was as if this brief separation had created such a magnificent rift between her and Millerna. Oh, how she missed her company.

Van walked into their room and smiled at her as he peered at the paper on her drawer. "What are you up to?"

"I was about to write a letter to Millerna but I can't seem to think of anything to say. It's not the same anymore."

"I must apologize. My presence has overwhelmed your senses and so you cannot think. I'll leave you now until you've finished with your letter," he grinned.

She threw him a look. "You're so conceited."

Van let out a laugh. "Oh, please. I was gifted with a natural beauty."

"And I call that a natural vanity," he retorted. "Why don't you pay her a visit instead? That'll be much more gratifying than sending her a letter."

"I should, huh. It would be better to let her know I'm coming though. By the way, I'd like to ask you something."

"What is it, my dear?"

"Why do you travel by carriages and such if you can travel so much faster with your abilities?"

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to ask me something of that sort. Well, I am still part human, Hitomi. I still like to enjoy human activities as much as you do. And besides, I get hungry after using my vampiric abilities. And no, I don't kill humans," he smiled. "Are you disappointed that I am not like the vampires you read about in books?"

"Not exactly. Then how do you sustain yourself?"

"I have my ways," he said mysteriously. In other words, he wasn't going to tell her. Perhaps, it was better for the both of them that she remained ignorant of his feeding habits but even then, she still would have liked to know. To satisfy that burning curiosity that arose whenever she was around him.

It startled her a bit to know hardly anything about him and marry him all the same. It was almost unethical in her book.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head over something as trivial as this," he smiled as he stroked her hair. "We have plenty of time ahead of us."

"You do," she snorted.

A flicker of a shadow crossed his face for a moment before it disappeared as quickly as it came. He cleared his throat. "You're still young and full of vitality. You have many years ahead of you."

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

"Of course." He looked at the paper on Hitomi's drawer and seemed to suppress a grin. "Go visit Millerna. I believe she's waiting for you."

She looked at him questioningly but he just shrugged his shoulders and continued with that lopsided smile. Somehow she knew he had something to do with it. He leaned down and kissed her lovingly on the cheek. A quick, innocent little peck that hid the mischievous, ruffled soul he possessed. She didn't know why but that little act had her heart pumping like she had just been running. Perhaps it was the alluring scent he gave off as he bent over her or the thrill of being so close to an otherworldly creature.

"Van," she said as he turned to leave. "What are you going to do about the treasure?"

He ran a hand through his messy hair before he stuffed it into his pocket. "It's become a rather difficult ordeal. Sora is quite the mastermind. As of right now, I have no idea where she is and what she's up to. But I am not planning to suspend my life in the hopes of finding her. Or rather, the moments I have with you. I have more than enough time to find her but I can't risk letting you go just yet."

Her stomach fluttered. "But it's important, isn't it? What if in that time, she decides to do something with it and you'll never get it back."

"Important, yes. But I have the animalistic abilities given to me as is prenatal to my nature. If I must, I will go to the ends of the earth to find it. If I had a mind to it, there is nothing I can find. But if she decides to destroy it, she will learn what it truly means to suffer for all eternity. It's as simple as that."

Hitomi felt a bit shocked. How easy it was to forget how dangerous he could be. Or any of them for that matter. One of the helpers whose name was Bayl, entered the room to put a coat around Hitomi's shoulders. She was one of the more sociable out of all the others and seemed to like Hitomi most, though Hitomi had no Idea why. She thought it a bit strange that many of their names had peculiar spellings and pronunciations. Names that she had never heard of in her life.

The minute Hitomi's footsteps landed on the pavement of the Aston mansion the door flung wide open and an angry white haired young man stormed out. She recognized him to be Dilandau. Delighted, she called out his name.

"Hitomi," he exclaimed, equally as delighted. He seemed to have forgotten his anger. "What a coincidence."

"Indeed. Did something happen? You left in such a flurry."

"Oh, Hitomi," he sighed. "Disaster has struck me!"

Dilandau grabbed her by the elbow and lead her down the pavement, away from the mansion. She looked up at him and felt caught up in his unnatural beauty. He seemed to glow the more she stared at him. Translucent skin as smooth as the Classical Greek marble sculptures and nearly as white too. A word lingered on the tip of her tongue but she could not place it. Hitomi finally came to her senses.

"Wait, Dilandau. I came here to visit Millerna."

"Forget it," he said brusquely. "That father of hers is bristling like a pregnant cat. He is without reason! He won't allow anyone in the house right now."

Hitomi was alarmed. How was she going to see Millerna now? Millerna was expecting her! Of course she could always sneak in like they always had when they went off on their own adventures during the night. But she decided to weigh her options first. "What has caused this?"

"Come with me and I will tell you the whole story over a cup of tea."

Before she could utter another word, he had her back in her carriage and they were off to some nearby café. She wondered what Van would do if he found out she was off with Dilandau instead of visiting Millerna like she had originally intended. Besides that, Van clearly disliked Dilandau much to Hitomi's disappointment. She found him a rather delectable companion. She felt at ease with him as if they had known each other for years.

They stopped at a café just a mile away from the mansion. He bade her wait for him as he went to order the tea as it was ungentlemanly of him to have her go with him. She leaned against the wall of the café, still pondering what she was going to tell Van. She was sure he was going to be furious. It wasn't entirely her fault. How she to know Dilandau was going to come storming out like that and whisk her away? For reasons unknown, she felt a heat of anger rise to her face.

"So, it's come to that, hmm? Marriage," whispered a voice as silky as the hand that touched and moved down Hitomi's shoulder.

Hitomi instinctively turned her head and saw that the voice belonged to the beautiful Sora, clad in a vermillion form fitting dress. A smile so perfect it almost seemed sinister was plastered on her flawless face. Hitomi's throat went dry. "Hello, Sora."

"Good evening to you too," she replied as coolly as before. "It surprised me when I heard the news."

"How did you find out?"

"Oh, it's a very simple thing. We communicate with each other in ways you would never understand. So, it would be pointless for me to tell you."

Hitomi disliked this woman. She reminded Hitomi of a snake. "What do you want with me?"

Sora threw her head back and laughed. "You're terrified of me! Come now, I would never hurt a fly." Again, that smile. "And besides, what would I want with a simpleton like you?"

Indeed, she did not like this woman. To gloat in her face like that was as low as anyone could get! But she was telling the truth. She wasn't born into a wealthy family. She was lucky that Millerna was even able to convince her father to let Hitomi live with them. She had to earn her stay, helping Millerna get dressed and keeping an eye on the maids to make sure they were doing their jobs. However, she wasn't going to let this get to her. No! She was better than that.

"Why don't we go for a walk? Doesn't that sound nice on a nice, cold night like this? I love Asturia's weather." Sora hooked her arm around Hitomi's.

"Uh, I'm waiting for someone," Hitomi said as she tried to resist.

"I'm sure whoever you're waiting for will return the favor, yes? A little bit of wasted time won't hurt anyone."

Hitomi could feel the hard, cold limb through the fabric of her coat. There was something familiar about this. And then, a sudden realization dawned on her. Van's skin felt like this and so did Dilandau's! They even shared the strikingly pale skin and the unmatched beauty she could not stop gawking at. Were they all vampires? Was she living in a vast network of these night creatures?

Sora's lips curled in a sensuous smile as they passed by a man who had his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his jacket seeking for warmth. Hitomi had no choice but to follow Sora. The grasp she had on Hitomi's arm was unrelenting.

"Do you know about me and Van before you ever stepped foot on Asturia? I suppose we were lovers, as society would coin the term. I learned things about him that you would never know and would never be allowed to know. Things so terrible I'm surprised he still carries on as he does. Who knew he had such resolve to live." She added bitterly, "Not even I had the power to pull him out of his curse."

Hitomi knew what Sora was talking about. She knew about Van's curse already.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I know about him?" she asked a little haughtily.

"No," she said simply.

Sora narrowed her delicately shaped eyes. "You are the first to say that to me. Why don't you want to know?"

"I—"

"Is it because you already know?" Her grip tightened until Hitomi felt as if the bones in her wrist would break. "Do you think you're better than me because you know? You are but a human!"

Hitomi clenched her teeth. "Please, you're hurting me."

It seemed Sora was not listening but after a few seconds, she flung Hitomi's arm away from her as if she had been holding raw meat from the butcher's shop. "How could he tell _you _something so forbidden to the human world? Disgusting."

"You're not so pleasant yourself."

The next thing Hitomi knew, her face was stinging beyond anything she had ever endured. Her eyes teared and threatened to spill if she did not furiously blink them away.

"Do not speak to me that way!" glowered Sora. "You, who are incompetent, do not deserve to insult me."

With that, she left in a carriage next to them that Hitomi had not noticed before. She could have sworn it was not there a moment ago. Her face was still stinging. She pulled off her gloves and pressed her cold hand against her face.

"Hitomi, there you are," cried Dilandau as he came running towards her with their drinks in both of his hands. "I saw what happened. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." She sipped her tea, grateful for something to swallow the brewing anger that harbored in the back of her throat.

"Sora was always short tempered. Did you say something to her?"

"I only gave her what she deserved."

He chuckled. "Ah, so you did. I did not expect such a violent reaction from her. She's usually so dignified."

"I wouldn't agree. She's rather cunning. I don't know what she wants with me," she said finally with a sigh that blew a puff of cloud in the piercing cold air. A silence fell between them for a short moment. "Dilandau, I have something to ask you."

"Oh?" he smiled, almost too sweetly to attain what she had learned about him. "What is it?"

She took another sip before saying slowly, "You're one of them, aren't you?"

"One of whom?" he asked good-naturedly, but his eyes acknowledged her question. "It's best if we didn't speak of this in the company of attentive ears."

Hitomi had forgotten they were out in the open. Anyone could hear them, but who would understand what they were talking about? She gave nothing away.

"There are believers out there, Hitomi. Believers, but they have not yet seen with their own eyes. If they were ever to acquire evidence, it could be the end for us. Do you understand why Van is so careful with you?"

She nodded. Van… She had almost forgotten about him. "I should be heading back. It's getting late."

"Are the rumors as they say?" Dilandau asked quietly. "The union between you and Van is going to happen soon."

"Yes, Dilandau."

"Ahh, I had an idea something like that was going to happen. I didn't have a chance at all but I still have time to try," he said with a crooked smile. "I'll be going, then. Goodnight, Hitomi."

Hitomi felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. All this time, Dilandau had withheld expressing his affections for her. The only time she remembered was when he gave her the lavender rose quite some time ago. Where had he been all this time? Why tell her this now?

By the time she arrived back at Van's manor, she was so exhausted she collapsed onto the velvet couch and unintentionally fell asleep. She awoke some time later to find Van standing by the fireplace with his back to her. He was sipping some red wine or what she thought was red wine. She suppressed the sudden urge to shudder at the idea of what it might be.

"You've awoken at last," Van said abruptly, piercing the silence with his soft, smooth voice. He walked over to her and sat down beside her. "It's time for the initiation process, my love."

Her eyes widened in alarm. "Initiation process? What's going to happen?"

"It's a sacred ritual we must perform before we wed. It has been passed down from my ancestors tracing back to the Beginning. It is something that cannot be neglected. I assure you, it will be almost painless," he grinned almost devilishly.

Hitomi was flooded with questions and feelings of anxiety. "What's going to happen to me?"

He scooped her up in his arms. "Don't worry. I promise you it's nothing you will regret."

She was not satisfied with that answer. She struggled to get down. "I refuse to cooperate if you don't tell me!"

"Hitomi," he said as he kissed her softly on the cheek. "Don't make me force you."

"Fine," she sighed. She allowed herself to sink into his arms and remained quiet the rest of the way. What choice did she have in the matter?

"I did not mean to anger you but this is very important. For both you and me. It will protect you from the others as long as I am alive. No one can hurt you without me knowing."

"But if they hurt you, how will I know?"

He smiled. "That is not for you to know."

They continued down the hall until they reached a heavy, wooden double door. Van turned to her.

"Behind here lies secrets unknown to mankind, but you will be the first since the marriage of my human mother to my vampire father. After these gates open, your life begins anew." He pushed the doors open.

Hitomi could see nothing beyond the complete darkness. There was not a single flicker of light that would lead them through this dark abyss. She felt a cold shiver of fear travel through her limbs. What lay ahead of them? What could this mean for her – that her life would begin anew? This was happening all too fast.

"It's time, dear." Van placed a hand on her shoulder and gently nudged her forward. "There is nothing here to be afraid of."

Then, why did she feel such dread as she stepped across the threshold that reeked of havoc and chaos?

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	17. Intrinsic Motives

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N: **Oh, goodness. How very bad I've been! I have neglected my faithful readers and for that I express my sincere apology and utmost appreciation for putting up with all of my disastrous delays. And so, I reward your patience with an extra long chapter! I must never become a writer! I will never finish a book!!

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**Chapter 17**

**Intrinsic Motives**

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Hitomi was left in a chamber where two chambermaids awaited her, both clad in blood red silky material that partially revealed their breasts. Hitomi tried not to stare. Sparkling jewel chains were woven throughout their long, luscious hair. They were stunningly beautiful. She turned around but Van had already left. Aside from explaining where he had taken her, he left her with no further instructions!

She greeted the women, without a trace of hesitation. If Van trusted her with them then there should be nothing to be afraid of. "Hello. I am Hitomi Kanzaki."

The first one giggled, shoulders moving so effortlessly. Her golden hair almost seemed to ripple from the movement. "We have already been informed, Lady Hitomi. Come, we must bathe you now."

The second woman with dazzling violet eyes seemed to materialize next to Hitomi but in fact had been moving so fast the human eye could hardly catch the stealthy movement. Then, she paused and almost grinned. "I didn't mean to startle you. I forgot you were human. But do not distress. We have given up human blood as a sacrifice to our gods."

They brought her to a hot spring and began unbuttoning her blouse. "It's alright. I can undress myself."

They looked at each other and shared a tinkling laugh. "Please do not take offense but humans are rather clumsy. They so easily cut themselves without realizing it. Our duty is to ensure this doesn't happen. The scent of human blood drives many of us mad. The young ones especially. We have the gentlest hands. Prince Van can assure you."

They continued in earnest until Hitomi was naked. They scrubbed her gently in the hot spring and rubbed scented oils all over her body. Her hair was washed and combed. They somehow managed to weave a jewel chain through her short hair. She was amazed. The best she could do with her hair was to curl it but even then it never turned out right. After they were done with her, they began bathing each other.

"I appreciate all of this you're doing for me. If there's anything I can do in return, please tell me."

The golden haired vampire laughed again. "It is nothing! We do it because we love our prince."

"Is he kind to everyone?"

"Yes, though he can be harsh at time," she said as her eyes softened. "He was not like the previous king."

"Hush, Selene," said the other woman in a quiet voice.

The light, serene air about them disappeared only to be replaced by a dark, heavy atmosphere. Hitomi assumed their past was not something to be treaded upon and yet, she felt an utmost desire to know who the previous king was.

"Please tell me about the king," she asked them.

"We don't have much time. You have to be dressed for the ritual," the second woman said sternly.

Selene seemed to ignore what the woman said and cried passionately, "Ana, have you forgotten what the king did to us? Why must we keep silent? We must let others knows of his deeds. History will repeat itself in a cycle of ignorance."

Ana said softly, "That's not something so easily forgotten. I just don't want to remember it."

Selene turned to Hitomi and held her hands to her chest. "We were violently raped and kept in a dungeon because we were refused to serve the king. He was a corrupt man filled with evil thoughts of taking over the world. He wanted a nation where vampires ruled and humans were slaves. The beautiful earth was turned into a living hell. But the birth of our prince, our lovely prince, changed all that. He showed the world that a coexistence of humans and vampires was possible."

"He freed us and showed us a kindness that brought us to tears," Ana continued, as if absorbed by the story. She wrapped a dark red cloth around Hitomi's body. "And we serve him now to express our gratitude."

"He took in all the vampires loyal to him and only him. He had no mercy for those who still believed in the king and his ways. But there was one exception. We didn't like the idea but he took her in and nurtured her—"

"Are you ladies done telling the story of my life?"

"My prince!" blushed the delicate Selene, covering her mouth. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to offend you!"

Van was leaning against the side of the doorway. He had a grin on his face. "You were always one to talk, Selene."

She averted her gaze and fiddled with the hem of her silk gown. Ana was busy tending to Hitomi's attire. Who was this woman that Van took in? She wondered if it was Sora. Perhaps something happened to cause his heart to save her? She and Van seemed close before she betrayed him and stole his treasure. Hitomi felt a pang of jealousy and tried to brush the feeling away. Speaking of treasure, she wondered what was happening now that Van's central focus was on Hitomi and this ritualistic marriage. When was he going to look for it again?

Selene and Ana continued fiddling with the garments on Hitomi's body. Hitomi thought the women seemed more like fairies kept in a cave rather than vampires. She waited for Ana to completely cover her breasts with more of the silk material but it appeared that she was done. Hitomi felt rather uncomfortable about exposing her chest like this. It felt obscene. Back at home, her chest was always covered. Hitomi looked at Van for help but he seemed to be busy talking to an elderly man. She was only able to hear glimpses of their conversation.

"…ritual...forbidden…"

"…parents…love…can happen…"

"…death…humans…weak…"

"…it can change…"

Hitomi was more worried about covering her chest than listening in. She went over to Ana for help. "Would it be possible for you to put this over my chest?"

Ana looked bewildered. "This is a woman's pride. She must only cover it slightly. Why would you want to hide something so beautiful?"

Selene joined in. "It will begin to feel very natural to you soon. We worship the body as it is a vessel that holds our soul. To constrict it is to confine the soul."

Hitomi couldn't tell who was more bewildered, she or them. Well, if this was what they wanted, she had no other choice but to accept and carry herself with dignity. She did like the way the silk gauze draped elegantly around her body as if it was meant to be worn by her. She was handed a small dagger.

"Yes, that's how a woman carries herself. It is very alluring, very beautiful," Ana commented. "You will put this dagger here until the time is ready. You mustn't hesitate! This part of the ritual is very important."

What would she need this dagger for? Her heart began to beat harder. Did she need this to defend herself from the other vampires that would participate in the ritual? She hugged her arms to her chest, feeling bare and exposed. If there was a slight chance at all, she did feel a bit sensual in the rich, sheer garments. They made her feel as womanly as Selene and Ana.

"Look how beautiful you are," Van said, admiringly. "Who knew beneath all that dirt and grime was a lovely princess?"

Hitomi shot him a dirty look only to receive a burst of laughter in return. "Are they always like that?"

"Like what?"

"They're very…in tune with their bodies."

Van laughed again. "Don't mind them. After what happened, I wouldn't be surprised that they have such beliefs about the body. Nearly everyone follows this belief. I can't help but agree with them, too."

Hitomi nodded. "I've never seen them until now."

"They have been watching you from afar," he smiled. "They came to me and specifically requested to aid you in your cleansing."

"I must admit, I'm becoming rather fond of them."

"They have their charm. Come, it's time."

Van led the way with the two women trailing behind Hitomi, each holding something in their hands. They approached a large domed room where a congress of elderly vampires huddled together in a circle, discussing something. No, she was wrong, they were chanting. As soon as Van stepped onto the platform, the soft chanting ceased. The chief elder stepped forward and acknowledged Van's presence.

"Let us begin," the chief elder said in a strong voice. He beckoned Hitomi to come up the platform. "This young woman, Hitomi Kanzaki, will receive our blessings today."

The rest of the elders formed a semi circle behind the chief elder and together they started chanting in an ancient language. Hitomi looked around and saw that the room was filled with vampires under Van's reign. There were so many she could hardly keep count. Some stared back at her, others questioningly, some with full acceptance. The chief elder raised his bony arms and faced the audience of vampires.

"As a union once before chanced upon by fate, we will now join our vampire prince, Van de Fanel, with his human companion, Hitomi Kanzaki, in a blood oath. Witness an age of reformation and compassion to us by our prince. Born from the flames of passion, I procure the ambience of love and the heated blood to protect this human."

Van leaned in and whispered in Hitomi's ear. "Be prepared to use your dagger, Hitomi. Have faith in me. Everything will be alright."

"Van de Fanel, you will use your dagger and slice your palm and let the warm blood drip into the basin before me. Hitomi Kanzaki, you will do the same."

Hitomi watched at Van cut his palm and hold his hand over the basin. Blood. Red. The same as hers. Her breath caught in her throat. What was it that made vampires so different from humans? Sure, they were stronger, faster, lived off blood, and had an infinite lifespan, but other than that, they were alike in body structure, in thought processes, and many other abilities. It was her turn now. It was too late to turn back now. She let her eyes wander one last time across the room and settled on Van. He nodded reassuringly. Hitomi felt the cold blade pierce her palm like a knife slicing into an orange. A sharp pain quickly ensued and soon faded into a dull throbbing. She followed the trail of blood as it trickled down her hand and dropped into the basin. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her as she saw the blood change to a deep purple red. She blinked several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

A wave of familiarity hit her, like abstract visions she could not make any sense of. Her knees felt weak. Her heart was pounding as if under great pressure. She felt an arm hold her steady. A roar came from somewhere near her. What was going on? Her mind was all in a jumble. She heard something fall over and the sound of a thousand moving figures rushing toward her but something repelled them back. Her eyes closed.

Suddenly, a thunderous silence fell over the crowd. Something was smeared over her palm and a warm substance was poured into her mouth. It tasted a bit salty. Slowly, she came to her senses. What little silk that covered her breasts had fallen away but she didn't care. She was engulfed in the arms of her lover.

Van spoke in a harsh voice, "We must have order! The ritual will be carried out until the end. I will not have any of you disgrace this ceremony!"

Hitomi could only guess what happened. The smell of her blood was overpowering and caused the vampires to go into a state of mind that was almost impossible to control. She felt the oppressive weight of their unified thoughts. She heard soft groans from every which way. The vampires leaned against each other, aching with temptation. The sounds of children wailing resounded off the walls. Despite all of this, she felt no immediate danger. They were all here with good intentions. They wanted to see who she was. Their eyes lingered over her, curious to see what her reaction would be. She studied their solemn faces and detected a sincerity residing in the depths of their souls. She could understand the loyalty with which they held their love for Van. She didn't know how she knew this but she did.

The chief spoke again once the commotion had died down. "Forgive us, Lady Hitomi. We have never smelled something so aromatic. Even I could hardly find the will to resist!"

Some of the vampires laughed. Hitomi nodded. "It's alright."

He beckoned for her to come to him. "As for every bride ever brought into this lineage, a mark of the clan must be carved into your skin. It will only hurt for a few seconds. Please, if you will, stand very still."

She felt a bit nervous. This will become a permanent mark that will forever change her. Not only will it identify her as one belonging to the clan, it will remain a stain of her human life. She will forever live with the vampires. If she could not see daylight, she didn't know what she was going to do. She almost had the impulse to run away at this very second. She looked around the room, consumed by the eyes of everyone there. She wouldn't stand a chance against them. They were far quicker than her. They would capture her in a heartbeat.

Van placed a hand on her arm. That act of kindness. Just that one gesture calmed her heart. Yes, she was ready. She wanted to do this. She loved him. Ana tugged at a part of the cloth and the red clothes fell away as easily as autumn leaves. The cloth lay in a heap around her feet. Hitomi gasped. She hadn't expected any of this! Instinctively, her hands flew to cover her private parts.

Ana smiled. "Do not worry. We are used to seeing naked bodies. You will not be harmed."

The chief elder began the carving. She would not have called it carving. It resembled tattooing but not quite. She could not see it but she definitely felt it as he traced the tip of the blade down her skin all the while rubbing something on each carving. He moved so deftly and quickly that it was all over in a matter of minutes. Not without pain of course. She had to clench her teeth and blink away the tears that formed. The mark of the clan ran all the way from the top of her neck to the very end of her spine.

Ana had a sponge prepared to wipe away what little blood had escaped from beneath her skin and applied some sort of salve to her new 'tattoo'. "There, you're done. Not too bad, hmm? It'll be healed in a few hours."

Van wrapped the clothes she had worn earlier around her, careful not to touch her back. "It's over."

The chief elder seemed proud of his work. "You will now be escorted to Prince Van's chambers. Your marriage to Prince Van will be completed upon the consummation. This will conclude the ritual. And tonight, you will be taken to Irma. She is our beloved wandering gypsy and very much wishes to read your fortune. Now, everyone! Please prepare for the feast!"

"You're finally mine, Hitomi," Van whispered as he put an arm around her waist.

Consummation?! Van had not informed her of this! In fact, he hadn't informed her of many things! The hairs on her body were raised as chills ran up and down her spine. She was thrown into this without so much as a trust of words exchanged between her and Van. She was almost bristling with anger.

They were almost to Van's bedroom before he said, "I understand you are angry with me."

"Of course, I am! I feel so humiliated. Everything is happening too quickly."

"I asked you to trust me and you did. It was all for your safety. If I hadn't acted the way I did, you would have been killed by now!" He massaged his temples. "Hitomi, there is a reason for everything that has happened today. You will understand later."

He knew something but he was not going to tell her. Why wouldn't he tell her now? What was the need for this urgency? And…consummation! She wasn't ready. It was all too soon!

Van stopped and cupped her face in his hands. "Understand that I do this out of love."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I know."

"Please don't cry," he said softly as he wiped them from her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her. So soft like the delicate petals of a cherry blossom. "It isn't going to hurt. I promise."

He held her hand as he led her in, gently closing the door behind them. The waning moon embraced the darkness of the room, giving it a loving ice blue glow. Van kissed the curve of her neck while his hands pulled off the silk cloth, revealing her naked body. Hitomi looked up at him, caught in the fiery intensity of his eyes. Her hands moved of their own accord, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. She heard his breath catch as she slowly reached for his pants. And before long, they were on the bed, kissing and sighing, moving with each other in a synonymous rhythm, each responding to the other.

"Oh, Hitomi, I love you so much," he whispered.

Hitomi never felt so loved in her life or so happy. She felt at peace with herself. She looked down at Van, whose head rested on her chest and arms wrapped around her body. He was gradually catching his breath.

"I love you too, Van." She was surprised her 'tattoo' wasn't hurting anymore.

"Let me take a look at it," he said, turning her over onto her stomach. "He's still as skillful as ever. Each mark is perfectly made."

"Does everyone have this mark?"

Van nodded. "Even the little ones. It used to be hard to tell the others apart from us so we decided on this. After it's done, even if it can't be seen, we know who has it and who doesn't. Now, it has become a part of our tradition. Yours is special. It also serves as a protective charm. My blood was on the knife the chief elder, Saus, used to carve into your skin. My father also did the same for my mother."

"It's not so different from masters branding their slaves," she said quietly.

"No, Hitomi! It's not like that at all. It is an honor to have this mark and protection. I will know if someone tries to harm you."

"I'm not so sure that's enough to protect me."

Van kissed her head. "Don't worry. It's more than enough."

Hitomi unconsciously traced a line down his chest. She was fully aware that their love making could possibly result in a new born infant in the near future. She did not feel worried at all but rather, enthralled by the idea. "Van?"

"Yes?"

"I want a lot of children."

He laughed and kissed her. "Then, we shall fill this house with our children."

A knock came from the door. "Excuse me, my prince. Irma is ready to see Lady Hitomi now. The chief elder also has something he wishes to discuss with you."

"You will like her," Van reassured. He handed her a gown from his closet. "This should be more comfortable than those silk garments you wore earlier."

Hitomi was more than relieved to see that the dress did not show her cleavage. "I am a bit embarrassed."

"About?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Everyone knows what we…you know, did." She couldn't help but blush furiously. She could not imagine herself facing their open stares, the same thought running through their heads.

Van flashed a toothy grin. "They will soon congratulate you. If you haven't heard already, Irma says I'm quite the fertile man."

She blushed again but didn't say anything. She could already see herself holding their baby in her arms. She smiled sweetly at him and dashed out the door before Van could say anything else. Selene was already waiting for her. Van was right about the blessings.

Selene was already chattering about conception. "Lady Hitomi, I hope you will conceive a child soon! The elders are eagerly awaiting an heir to the throne."

"Please call me, Hitomi. I'm sorry, Selene, but I don't think it is possible just yet." As a matter of fact, they made love only once. How could she become pregnant so easily?

Selene looked puzzled. "Every female conceives the first time. There has never been an exception."

"Ah, I see." Hitomi was a bit startled by this fact. Was having a baby that easy? Was there really no effort at all?

"Giving life is a wonderful, beautiful feeling, Hitomi. You will feel the joy when it takes its first breath." Selene almost seemed to float into the air with elation. "So beautiful."

Ana soon joined them. "Selene, you don't understand. You are a vampire. You have the strength to bear a vampire baby. I worry that Hitomi will not be strong enough to have our prince's child. It's not as easy as you think. Vampire babies leech the life out of you. It is a very painful process for humans."

Hitomi felt a sudden tugging at the bottom of her heart. She wasn't prepared to hear such news. How was she to have Van's children? She did not possess eternal life. If her life was slowly eaten away by the baby, there was no guarantee that she would not die. She felt her eyes burn with the feeling of dejection.

"Ana! Look what you've done." Selene busied herself with comforting Hitomi.

Ana looked remorseful. "I apologize, but I had to let you know. Prince Van will be greatly affected should you die. I can tell by the look in eyes that he is deeply in love with you. I do not wish to see him suffer so. Ah, here we are. Please go inside. Irma is waiting."

"We'll be outside when you are done," smiled Selene, giving Hitomi a final pat on the arm.

Hitomi looked back at their elegant figures before peering into the dark room. There was a dim light further in. She stepped inside and upon her arrival, the door immediately shut behind her. A lamp laid on the floor as if it had been knocked down from a table. The smell of old incense lingered in the air. She felt uneasy. Something seemed out of place. A figure sitting in a large chair motioned to her. Bracelets jangled.

"Come closer, my dear," drawled an all too familiar voice.

* * *

**A/N:** Dun, dun, dun...! What will happen next?! Stay tuned to find out! :D


	18. Winter Sonata

**Disclaimer: **The Vision of Escaflowne is the property of Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. I do not own the Vision of Escaflowne or its characters.

**A/N: **Oh, goodness. How very bad I've been. I recommend that you reread the previous chapter to refresh your memory. It's been long a while, hasn't it? (:

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**Chapter 18**

**Winter Sonata**

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"I know who you are," Hitomi stated firmly, eyes flashing in the light of the low lit lamp. There was only one person she knew whose voice that belonged to but she had to know for sure if it was who she suspected. She found it almost impossible to believe that someone could have so easily penetrated the barriers of the manor. There were more than enough vampires to secure the place. She had seen with her very eyes how powerful they were. Something was amiss.

"Dear, dear, Hitomi. Look how pretty you are." The voice pronounced the words ever so slowly as if savoring the sound in her mouth. "I have been waiting all night for you."

As Hitomi drew closer, her suspicions were only further confirmed. Under the veil the woman wore, the distinct shapely red lips gave her away. Hitomi remembered the sound of Sora's smooth, silvery voice.

"We meet again, Hitomi," Sora said coolly. "You seem surprised to see me. Well, of course. You were expecting that gypsy woman. Perhaps fate brought us together. Perhaps not."

"What did you do to her?" Hitomi asked in a cold voice.

"What's with that tone? Such needless accusations. However, if it pleases you to know, no harm was done. She won't remember a thing when she awakens from her slumber. You'll be riding with me in my carriage long before then."

"What do you want with me? I haven't done anything to you." Hitomi backed away but a figure emerged from the shadows and pinned her arms to her sides. So startled she was that the scream died in her throat. If the tattoo was supposed to serve to protect her, where was Van now?

"Dilandau!" Hitomi exclaimed softly, struggling against his strong grip. "What are you doing?"

His blood red eyes glittered in a way that almost seemed like they were pooling with tears. He leaned in and whispered. "I've come to take you away, dear Hitomi. It is rather unfortunate that you're married now."

Did Van suspect something was going to happen? Was that why he rushed the ceremony and wedding? Oh, if she could see him now. Her lips trembled. "Please let me go. I know you're a good person, Dilandau. Why are you working with her?"

"Shh," he replied, putting a finger against her lips.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a bonded figure lying on the ground. It must be Irma. She seemed unconscious. It was too dark to tell if she was hurt. Hitomi did not know what Sora was capable of. Anything could trigger her fury. Hitomi knew she had to be careful or it could possibly cost her her life.

Sora rose from her seat. The fabric of her dress rustled and the bracelets continued to jangle. "Let me explain, Hitomi. Dilandau and I both share the same…interests to put it bluntly. We both share the same unrequited love for two different people. You can only guess what was behind Dilandau's motive. As for me, I have loved Van since the day we first met. Those who do not believe in love at first sight can never understand how I felt that day."

Hitomi then realized the extent to which Van's charming demeanor could affect the people around him. Everyone seemed to admire and love him. What made her so special that he would choose her among the countless females that swooned over him? What attracted him to her, a mere human, when he could pick the loveliest flower among the field of vampires? She could not help but feel a little sorry for Sora. Perhaps she was not as dangerous as Hitomi had thought. She seemed so hopelessly—no, desperately—in love but Hitomi would not give up Van. They had just married and committed an act of love. Sora had no right to take that away from her. Not now. Not ever.

Sora stopped in front of Hitomi and gave her a long stare before turning away. There was a contemptuous air about her now. "I will have you know that he saved me from the claws of death. He emerged from the fog and rubble as noble as any man. Despite the soot on his face and clothes, his eyes remained unsoiled. They burned with a passion. The same passion I had for the goals my own king pursued. I didn't agree with the things he did, but I still believed in him. I could not stand the sight of humans. Even now, I can barely make myself speak to them. I could not understand why we lived in the shadows while they walked the streets with a confidence they didn't deserve!

"And then, you, a measly human, came along and ripped him from my heart," she scowled bitterly, more to herself than anyone. She paused as she stared out of the illuminated window. "He was mine before you ever appeared."

Sympathy arose from Hitomi's heart. Would she too feel that same bitterness? A bitterness so wretched it burned a hole in the bottom of her stomach and possessed her consciousness. Yes, yes. For Van, she would. "Is that why you stole the treasure? To make him chase after you?"

She smiled, almost whimsically. "Yes, I suppose. I watched with merriment as Van arranged all those pretentious meetings while he used you as bait. Van thought he could lure me out but he made a mistake. He too branded me with the mark of the clan. He could not tell me apart from the others. Oh, how you suffered. It wasn't pleasant to have the Wolf touch you like that, hmm? He still doesn't know how to hold himself back."

"He didn't mean it! He was only showing Van what was missing in his heart." Why was she defending him like this? After all, he was the one who groped her. She fought the urge to kick herself for opening her mouth.

"But what of it?! He already knew what was in his heart. There was no need to awaken anything!" she snapped. For a moment, it seemed Sora lost control of herself. That passionate, twisting tempest locked inside a shell of frigid coldness roared to come out. She sighed and then smiled, as strange as it seemed. "Van had so much potential. I was going to bring that out of him. Make him shine like the knight he was. I knew that he was the one who would lead us to victory. But never mind that. We've stalled much too long."

Hitomi wondered what caused Van to have the mark of the clan imprinted upon her. Was she going to be his wife? Another thought occurred much to her horror. Had she _been_ his wife at one time? A bitterness rose to her throat. No, she couldn't think about that now. "What will you get out of all this?"

Sora dismissed what Hitomi had just said with the wave of her hand. "Dilandau, take her and follow me."

"He will never forgive you for this," Hitomi hissed through her teeth.

Sora's face twisted in rage. Hitomi felt a hard blow to her face so fast that she staggered sideways from the impact. Sora regained her composure and said coldly, "You will not speak of this anymore."

"I'm sorry, Hitomi." He softly touched her cheek with the back of his hands and kissed her temple as he wiped the blood from her pale face. He then put a gag in her mouth and tied her hands behind her back. "You'll soon understand."

She protested through the gag but to no avail. Dilandau wasn't listening. Whatever captivated him was beyond reasoning. Sora opened a hidden side door that led to the back of the manor where a carriage was already waiting. She turned to glance back at them before stepping outside. _Van_, Hitomi prayed silently to herself, _if what you said is true, please protect me!_

Sora positioned herself across from Hitomi, studying her with a solemn expression as if deep in thought. Strangely enough, she was relatively silent throughout the whole ride. That whole speech she presented before must have mentally exhausted her. Dilandau sat next to Hitomi with a distant look in his eyes. He was still as beautiful as ever despite the expressionless mask. Cold and erect beside her like a Roman statue. Perhaps he took pity on her because he removed the gags from her mouth but kept her hands bound. She was about to speak when he silenced her with a steel, hard glance. She looked at Sora whose eyes quickly narrowed.

"I suppose you hate me now," he mumbled quietly. Despite the tortured look on his face, the air of a bourgeois was still about him. "It won't be long before he comes."

Hitomi felt a surge of relief wash over her. She wouldn't be here for long. Van would soon come and save her.

Sora laughed abruptly. "You doubt my abilities, sweet Dilandau? It will be a _long_ while before he comes."

He stared at her with a confused look marring his smooth, delicate features.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You and I both know what I am capable of. I can manipulate many things. He won't know what hit him until it is too late." She settled back into her seat where the darkened shadows covered her face. The smile that Hitomi could see faded into a soft frown. Sora had retreated into the darkest corners of her own self. She seemed to have let down her guard a bit.

What could she do? Hitomi looked frantically at her surroundings. She was in an enclosed space so small that she would be caught the instant she made a move. Never mind that! She would be caught before she even made a move. Their tell tale instincts were magnificent, beyond anything she could ever imagine.

As if sensing her discomfort, Dilandau spoke again. "When this is all over, do you believe you could possibly forgive me?"

"How can I?" she cried. Her wrists rubbed against the bindings. They were beginning to ache. "You've kidnapped me. I have endured humility and yet, you expect me to forgive you?"

Sora had a smirk on her face but did not say a word. Instead, she continued to watch with interest in her condescending way. At this point, Hitomi was too tired and angry to care. He made her believe he was a trustworthy man who could produce lavender flowers like magic and enthrall his audience with his remarkable charms. He treated her like a friend but he managed to deceive her this whole time!

He sighed. "If you would please listen to me for just one moment, you'll understand what I mean," he reasoned with her.

Hitomi turned her head away. She was still hurt by his deception. What possessed him to conspire with Sora? She bit her lip as she tried to console herself. Dilandau wouldn't allow Sora to hurt her. Would he? But he did. He had stood there and watched while Sora struck her. Hitomi glanced back at him, only slightly moved by the distraught look on his face.

"Please," he begged. He reached for her hands but she yanked them away. "Please just listen."

Though her eyes glowed with anger, she could feel the urgency in his voice weaken her conviction. It made her curious. "You have one minute to explain yourself."

Without hesitation, he told his news. "You're in grave danger, Hitomi."

She blinked. Did she hear that correctly? "Can you please say that again?"

"Your life as we know it is in imminent danger. I had to take you away from there. I knew I couldn't penetrate Van's property without help. And Sora was there. It was perfect." He took a deep breath. "I-I care for you deeply. It was for the best, Hitomi."

"What is it?" she whispered, her throat dry. "Tell me what it is, Dilandau!"

A pained look crossed his face as he bit his lips. "There are vampires conspiring against you. They respected the King because he was pure but as his son, they refused to accept someone of half breed. Even now, they hold a deep grudge against Van. Your marriage to Van will only increase the rift created by his parents. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Hitomi only vaguely heard what he had asked. It was too late now. They had already been intimate that night and Selene had said it was guaranteed she would conceive the first time. She wasn't prepared to have a baby. It was all forced upon her so fast without so much of an explanation.

"You're not safe there," he pleaded. "Come away with me where it's safe."

Before she could say anything, the carriage rolled to a stop. Sora stepped out first and motioned for them to follow. A train stood before them. So this was it. She was to step into a new life beyond the limits of this place. Beyond the seaside city she had grown to love. A cold draft blew away the wisps of hair across her face. Would she never see Van again? A hot bitterness welled inside her chest.

Sora waited at the entrance and waved her hand impatiently. "Get in. Now!"

Dilandau nudged her inside and they were on their way. Faster than anything she had ever ridden. Faster than her eyes could manage. The dark shadows of buildings flickered by within a blink of an eye. Hitomi felt a faint nausea overcome her. This was all wrong. She wasn't supposed to be here. Was Van already aware of her absence? Was he making his way toward her at this very moment? He wouldn't know where she was anyway. It would be useless. To have so much faith gambled on his undocumented words tangled with her sanity. She didn't want to wait for him. Was her life worth the wait? She decided she would take matters into her own hands.

But even then, what could she do in this tiny vicinity bound helplessly by the hands? She felt the urge to fall to her knees and scream to the gods to help her. She didn't want to live among them. Surely, she would be hidden away like a treasure for none to steal.

"Are you hungry?"

She turned her head. "No."

Dilandau squeezed her arm. "It's for the best, Hitomi."

"He can protect me. He promised."

Sora laughed that condescending laugh of hers. "Promises mean nothing. He can come after you all he wants but he will never find you."

Hitomi intensely hated her at that moment. Hitomi's existence meant nothing to her. She could easily destroy her and then gloat about her victory. Hitomi growled silently to herself. She could not stand this kind of degradation.

Sora sighed impatiently. "We would be there by now if we didn't have to look after you."

"I didn't ask for this either," murmured Hitomi.

"I don't want to hear another word from you."

"You won't."

Sora was pressed against Hitomi in a matter of seconds. Her nails dug deeply into Hitomi's ribs, crushing them with impenetrable strength. "You will speak not another word."

Hitomi gasped and nodded as she squeezed harder and harder. Sora threw her to the side before returning to her seat. Hitomi lay gasping, white hot pain shot at the back of her head. She gingerly touched her bruised ribs and winced at the pain. She had forgotten how powerful they were. Dilandau looked concerned. He took Sora to the side where a heated argument ensued. Hitomi knew it was about her because they kept glancing her way all the while their voices rose above whispers. They seemed to have forgotten she could still hear them.

"I don't understand why you have to be rough. She's human," said Dilandau.

"And I don't understand why you have to love them so much," Sora hissed back.

"Look, let's just get her there in one piece."

She leaned in closer to him. Hitomi strained to hear. "You know what you have to do. I'll take care of the rest. Take her back when you are finished. Everything must occur according to plan. One mistake will destroy us."

"Yes, I know," he muttered hastily. As he made his way back to his seat, Hitomi tried to appear calm and collected even though inside her heart was hammering against her chest. A soft lavender scent wafted under her nose as he passed by to sit across from her. Lavender was supposed to calm the nerves. This she knew as she often burned lavender scented oils to help her sleep at night. Instead, she felt ever more anxious.

They were up to something and they were keeping it secret amongst themselves. Perhaps she could wheedle some information out of Dilandau. Her stomach growled loudly enough for him to hear and laugh. She felt her face flush red with embarrassment.

"Would you like some bread," he offered.

Maybe if she took some he would take it as a sign of friendliness and loosen up a bit. She swallowed her pride. "That would be lovely."

He waved to the train attendant. "We're almost there. I'm going to have to blindfold you once we depart from the station."

"I don't see how that's necessary. I don't think I'll ever want to return."

"It's not that we're afraid you'll find it. We're afraid he will use you to find us."

The attendant arrived with a plate of bread and butter. Hitomi thanked him and quickly bit into the soft, warm slice. "How can he when I'm here with you?"

Dilandau shook his head softly. "It's to ensure our safety no matter what. From now on, we are marked as the enemy. We've taken his beloved wife from him. Any man would be filled with rage."

When Hitomi had eaten her fill, the train screeched to a halt. She looked at Dilandau who nodded and they got off the train. By now, she was tired and aching from the whole ordeal. Anyone looking at them from a distance would see a normal group of people travelling together as companions. They would not see the injuries underneath her clothes or the fear in her eyes. Her hands were no longer bound as it would obviously raise suspicion.

They blindfolded her as soon as they could. In darkness, she could only use her other senses to tell her what was going on. "Are you going to kill me now?"

There was a shuffling of feet. Without another word, they were on their way to a place Hitomi could not conjure in her mind. Her imagination ran wild. They were going to slowly kill her in a cleverly designed torture chamber. Or perhaps they were going to starve her to death. She silently scolded herself. Dilandau had reassured her she would be safe. She almost laughed. Safe? Her bruised flesh was confirmation of that. She didn't know if she could trust him. He seemed almost desperate to help her but was powerless in Sora's presence. She was apparently stronger than him. She had so much control over him that he could not fight back. He did seek her help so why would he turn on her now?

Remembering back to the previous conversation between Dilandau and Sora, Hitomi found herself greatly agitated. She sensed the anxiety and urgency in their voices. They seemed to fear Van. They feared his wrath but they were risking so much by taking Hitomi. Would it be worth it all in the end? She shook the thought in her head. Why was she worried for them anyway?

They arrived at their destination. Or so she thought. She was thrust into a cool, area. Her steps made dull sounds. She assumed they were walking on concrete. She bumped into someone. A hand—Dilandau's probably—held her steady. The next thing she knew, they were descending into what she could only think was hell. Colder and colder the atmosphere felt until she could hardly stop herself from shivering. She had no idea how long it had been since they stepped into the elevator. It couldn't have been more than several minutes. They gradually came to a soft stop after some time. She heard the door open.

She was then led through a series of twists and turns. She lost count after she tripped on her own clumsy feet and nearly crashed to the ground. She pushed her up and hastily tried to regain her balance as the footsteps continued on. A cold hand was offered to her and she gladly took it, happy to have a guide. The air felt dense and she found herself taking deep breaths. She was growing weary of the long, silent walk when they finally stopped. The blindfold was removed but it was too dark anyway to see anything. She looked around, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

Someone struck a match nearby and lit up several candles with gold crests. Surprisingly, there were enough to light up the entire room. Paintings decorated the room and gave it an air of sophistication. Sora seated her on the couch and motioned to Dilandau with her eyes. Following her gaze, Hitomi turned to him.

He seemed hesitant at first but then he cleared his throat. "Come, Hitomi. I'll see you to your room."

She obediently followed. She had no other choice. She didn't want to be stuck in the same room as Sora, whose cold, deliberate smile freaked her out. She tried to strike up a conversation to make up for the uncomfortable silence earlier but her throat was dry. She swallowed painfully. "Can I have some water?"

"Of course," he smiled. "In fact, I was just going to get you some warm tea to help you relax."

She nodded. "Thanks."

She didn't understand why everything else was lit with electricity but that one particular room. A chill ran up her spine. This was nothing like Van's manor. His was cozy and comfortable and inviting. They reached the end of a corridor. Dilandau paused before he turned to her and gave her a soft smile. "I understand this is all very confusing for you. You can come to me if you need anything. I'll be here."

"I would like that," she said softly. A companion in this forlorn place would definitely ease the loneliness. "Could you stay with me a while?"

"Sure. I'll bring you your tea."

As soon as he left, Hitomi felt the loneliness ever more. The room itself wasn't drabby at all but it was just the cold, empty atmosphere of the place that repulsed her. Where were all the people? It was eerily quiet. She heard a snicker and abruptly turned to the door. She saw no one. Perhaps it was all in her head. She sat down on the bed and drew her legs close to her chest. She was not looking forward to living here. It would drive her mad! She had to find a way out but how? How could she retrace her steps when she hadn't been able to see where she was going?

It wasn't long before Dilandau returned with a hot cup of tea in his hand, closing the door behind her. The light fragrant aroma wafted under her nose. She could feel it taking over her senses. Already she felt calmer. He handed it to her as he climbed onto the bed and leaned his back against the wall, his long legs extending over the edge.

"Here, for the lovely lady," he said as he produced a lavender rose from thin air.

Hitomi couldn't help but smile. "I haven't seen those in a while."

"I figured it was the best I could do to cheer you up after taking you here. Against your will. Almost."

She sipped the tea and let its warmth fill her body. "It's for the best, hmm?"

He leaned his body against her in a playful manner. "You'll learn to like this place. Sora isn't so bad after you get used to her."

"You forget she doesn't like humans."

"As long as you stay out of her way."

They both laughed and continued talking for a while longer. By now, she was feeling an incredible urge to just close her eyes and sleep. She was warm and content. She didn't want to move or do anything at this moment. "Dilandau," she murmured.

She felt him shift next to her. "You should get some rest. It's been a rough journey for you."

"Mmm." She let herself fall against the soft cushions of the bed. The last thing she remembered before drifting into the inner consciousness of her mind was Dilandau bending over her.

* * *

_A warm evening glow settled gently upon the porch where Van stood for hours on end nearly every day. What he would give to be with Hitomi again. To stand with her together on the very same porch as they had done when the reconstruction had finished. It was everything Hitomi wanted. Anything she wanted he gave. And yet, she chose to transform the front lawn into something so beautiful even he was surprised. It reflected the very nature of her soul. The epitome of purity and vivacity._

_He closed his eyes and felt like he could see her as if it was just yesterday that she last spoke to him._

"If it's in a place like this, I don't think the children will be very happy," said Hitomi, standing on the sturdy veranda and looking at the small corner of a lawn. "I want them to have a large green lawn they can play on and a variety of trees to climb. They'll be strong, won't they?"

Van watched her from the elegant walkway that led to the veranda. The pale morning light lit upon her face as she paced back and forth, arms outstretched. Van admired her simplicity and appreciation for nature. "Indeed, Hitomi. Anything you desire you will have."

Hitomi crossed her arms, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Oh, really now?"

He laughed as he replied, "Yes, really. I can make it happen."

"And will that cost anyone their life?"

"Of course not. How could you doubt me so?" He feigned a hurt expression all the while suppressing his grin.

She sighed lightly and threw her hands up in surrender. She knew there were things he kept secret from her. The dealings he took part in while she was safe under the guard of Ana and Selene, the late night runs to who knows where, the long hours away from her. And when he came home, he never uttered a word about where he had been or had been doing. He never took her with him either. He knew she had reason to regard him with suspicion but she never said a word either. It was a mutual, unspoken agreement. "I don't know what to do with you sometimes."

Van walked up to her and slowly eased his arms around her waist. The bump was a lot bigger than he remembered. He felt her shiver ever so slightly as goosebumps slowly spread over her body. He smiled and said as he often did, "Trust me, love."

"You know I do," she said softly, melting in his embrace.

"Van," a voice called out from inside the carriage. "Quickly now, it's time."

There was no need to remind him. How could he forget? This was something that plagued him ever since the moment of conception. "Come, Hitomi. Before the sunrays reach their peak."

The smile on her face turned into a slight pout. He knew she did not like it anymore than he did. No, he was wrong. She actually enjoyed the thrills of being the mother of a vampire baby but she wasn't fully aware of it then the hardships that would soon come. He watched her as she gently climbed into the carriage, peering out and beckoning him to come in too, a smile never failing to grace her sweet face.

_Perhaps it was only he who felt disturbed by the side effects at the time. He had only hoped that it would not become permanent._

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**A/N:** I plan to finish the story soon and relieve you of your ever patient attendance! Hahah. Thank you everyone for sticking with me for so long. I don't deserve it but I still do greatly appreciate it. As I write this, the next chapter is already underway! So please be patient a little longer. (:


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